Watch: Leopard shocked by camouflaged hippo in its fishing hole

A leopard fishing for catfish in a pond that had turned into a mud pit got quite a shock when a huge hippo in perfect camouflage announced its presence, lunging at the intruding feline and scaring it away.

The encounter occurred at MalaMala in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, and the footage was captured by guides Mike Kirkman and Pieter van Wyk and posted on LatestSightings.com.

When the leopard went fishing during the daytime, “little did she know, a hippo was wallowing in the very same area,” Kirkman told LatestSightings.

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Leopards are quite successful when it comes to hunting, with their excellent camouflage being a huge asset. But “the leopard was not as camouflaged as its opponent, Mr. Hippo in this case,” LatestSightings stated.

As it turned out, the leopard caught its catfish, using the cover of darkness to its advantage, as the hippo was out of the mud and grazing for food, as the species is known to do at night.

“This really must have been amazing to see,” LatestSightings stated. “One can really see the insane size difference between these two African beauties.”

Photos courtesy of LatestSightings.