PORCUPINE - Totem Talk2024-03-29T11:25:01Zhttps://totemtalk.ning.com/forum/topics/porcupine-2?groupUrl=p&feed=yes&xn_auth=noYoung leopard gets a prickly…tag:totemtalk.ning.com,2010-08-14:5521792:Comment:22872010-08-14T20:38:58.000ZTerri Benninghttps://totemtalk.ning.com/profile/TerriBenning
<b>Young leopard gets a prickly reception as it tries to eat a porcupine</b><br />
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By Daily Mail Reporter<br />
Last updated at 11:04 AM on 3rd February 2010<br />
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<b>Read more:</b> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248144/Young-leopard-gets-prickly-reception-tries-eat-porcupine.html#ixzz0wc8JNXFb" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248144/Young-leopard-gets-...</a><br />
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This young male leopard gets a prickly reception after deciding to make a meal of a porcupine.<br />
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The big cat…
<b>Young leopard gets a prickly reception as it tries to eat a porcupine</b><br />
<br />
By Daily Mail Reporter<br />
Last updated at 11:04 AM on 3rd February 2010<br />
<br />
<b>Read more:</b> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248144/Young-leopard-gets-prickly-reception-tries-eat-porcupine.html#ixzz0wc8JNXFb" target="_blank">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248144/Young-leopard-gets-...</a><br />
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This young male leopard gets a prickly reception after deciding to make a meal of a porcupine.<br />
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The big cat was left with sore paws and a bruised ego after losing out in a battle of wits with its spiny opponent.<br />
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Using all his hunting techniques, the two-year-old male tried pouncing on the porcupine from above, prodding him and trying to roll him over, but to no avail.<br />
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<b>Spiky reception:</b> The two-year-old male leopard decides to make a meal of the wandering porcupine, but gets several painful spines in his paws for his trouble.<br />
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Undeterred, the hungry feline even tried extending a gentle paw as the porcupine shook its foot-long spines ferociously.<br />
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After 25 minutes and several painful spines in his paws, the big cat was forced to accept defeat and retreat with his tail between his legs.<br />
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The incredible moment was captured on camera by professional wildlife photographer Shem Compion in the Mashatu Game reserve, in Botswana.<br />
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<b>Prickly customer:</b> The leopard spent 25 minutes and exhausted his whole hunting repertoire including leaping on top of the porcupine before slinking off in defeat.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2174410275?profile=original" alt=""/> <b>Painful:</b> The leopard got several of the porcupine's quills stuck in it as he struggled to get past its defenses
Mr Compion, 33, who lives in South Africa, said: 'Excitement hardly describes my feelings - it was one of my top wildlife sightings ever.<br />
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'We saw this beautiful leopard lounging on a log and then a few moments later a porcupine walked nearby and started nibbling some roots.<br />
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'Suddenly, this relaxed leopard spotted the porcupine and sprang on to high alert, watching the rodent before getting up to stalk him.<br />
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'From then on it was full adrenaline. The leopard spent 25 minutes trying to touch the porcupine and get to him.<br />
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'The porcupine kept pushing his quills towards the cat and rattling them in a very frightening manner - the leopard would jump in shock.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2174410416?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
<b>Me-owww:</b> The young leopard pulls its paw back in pain after one of the foot-long quills lodges in it.<br />
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He tried all sorts of things to get under the porcupine but nothing was working and eventually he gave up and lay down.<br />
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'There's a rule in the bush which says "only food runs", so the porcupine knew to stick around until the leopard had walked away so it could get water from a pool.<br />
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'It went from tension to suspense, pain, torment and eventually relief. It was a truly incredible sight.'<br />
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The pictures were taken during a photography wildlife safari Mr Compion was leading.<br />
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END of story.