Wildlife Photographer Captures Magical Second Leopard Meets A Dung Beetle

Among the tens of millions of beetle species on Earth, few are as intriguing as dung beetles — not for his or her look, however for his or her namesake habits. Dung beetles are recognized for locating and amassing dung, which they roll residence to make use of as a meals supply for themselves and their younger.

It’s a survival method that fascinates biologists and informal observers alike.

But people aren’t the one ones inquisitive about dung beetles.

Recently, wildlife photographer Nick Kleer was on safari in South Africa’s Mala Mala Game Reserve when he occurred upon a singular scene.

A brief manner off, a humble dung beetle was dutifully going about his work, rolling a ball of dung throughout the highway. Kleer, nevertheless, was not the one one who seen. The beetle’s exercise had additionally attracted the eye of a close-by leopard, who, ignoring Kleer utterly, appeared transfixed by what the insect was as much as.

She simply needed to transfer in for a better look — a memorable second Kleer was capable of seize on video:

The trademark curiosity of domesticated cats clearly nonetheless runs sturdy of their bigger, wild counterparts.

Fortunately, upon the leopard’s nearer inspection, neither the beetle nor his cargo was deemed interesting sufficient to warrant a style.

In pictures like these above, Kleer’s pictures spotlights one in all Africa’s most iconic large cats — animals worthy of cherishing and defending.

According to the World Land Trust, “African leopards have suffered from habitat loss and fragmentation, increased illegal wildlife trade, decline in prey and poorly managed trophy hunting.”

But because of protected reserves like Mala Mala, leopards, dung beetles and numerous different animals can nonetheless stay and discover freely.