A wildlife photographer in South Africa captured a rare encounter between two of the most unlikely creatures: a dung beetle and a leopard.
According to The Dodo, Nick Kleer was on safari in the Mala Mala Game Reserve when he caught sight of a dung beetle doing what the little insect does: rolling a ball of dung around.
As he filmed the beetle going about its dirty business, Kleer happened to notice a leopard standing nearby, which was also watching the scarab roller. The naturally curious feline soon wandered over to expect the industrious insect.
As it sets its massive paw down next to the beetle, the leopard lowered its head for an almighty sniff; something it seemed to regret as the leopard appeared to pull a face afterward as if to say, “gross.”
“Luckily for the beetle, one sniff was all it took for the leopard to realize it wasn’t a very appetizing treat,” adds Latest Sigthings – Kruger, on Facebook.
“A cat doing cat things, regardless of species,” writes one of Kleer’s Instagram followers. “This should win a prize. Surely one of the most unique videos ever,” adds another.
The leopard’s inquisitive nature was perfectly captured by Kleer. The Dodo notes that his photography serves to shine a light on Africa’s leopards which have “suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation, increased illegal wildlife trade, decline in prey and poorly managed trophy hunting,” according to the World Land Trust.
However, reserves like Mala Mala are a safe space for leopards — and dung beetles — to roam freely. The photographer, Kleer, grew up in South Africa and, according to his website, spent “just about every school holiday” exploring Kruger National Park and other game reserves across Southern Africa with his family.
“One of my most vivid memories from those trips was spotting my first leopard when I was just six years old. From that moment, I was hooked on big cats, and after university (and a short stint in a suit and tie), I quickly realized that my heart belonged in the wild, not in an office,” Kleer adds.
More of Kleer’s work can be found on his Instagram.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.