In the battle of dogs versus cats, dogs usually have the benefit of being bigger and stronger. When it comes to leopards however, you’d think the felines would take the lead. Well, not if this particular dog has anything to do with it.
In a surprising video taken at at Jhalana safari park, near Jaipur, Rajasthan in India, the brave dog held his own when the leopard pounced.
Its reaction certainly gave the people taking part in the safari an interesting story to tell, as the predator stopped in its tracks upon hearing the dog’s protests.
Check out the video here:
The dog had strayed from a nearby village and approached the safari cars, probably glad that it had come across some people to offer it food or give it a nice belly rub.
Little did it know that the leopard, who has been named Juliet by forest officials, was stalking it from the bushes, while those on the safari waited with bated breath to see what would happen.
The dog lay down on the road and was just settling in for a rest when the cat made its move and leaped towards its prey.
Probably aware that it might not be able to outrun the leopard, you can almost imagine the dog’s thought process.
It’s like it had to come up with a sudden plan, and thought ‘sh*t, right, if I can’t run, what can I use to my advantage? Barking, okay, loud noises, yes, okay the enemy is stopping, the barking is working, just, for the love of God, don’t stop barking’.
And that’s exactly what it did. Squealing at the hunter, the dog jumped up and began its protests, barking endlessly while Juliet stood and stared.
At one point the dog glanced back towards the people on the safari, possibly thinking ‘look guys, I’ve stopped myself from being eaten, you’re filming this right?’.
Or maybe ‘excuse me humans, this cat is trying to eat me, please will you help?’
But it turned out the fearless dog didn’t need any assistance, and eventually the leopard slowly made its way back towards the bushes, turning back for one last look at the noisy dog before disappearing into the greenery.
That wasn’t quite enough assurance for the stray however, and it kept barking for a while after Juliet had gone, making sure the feline was well and truly frightened off.
Speaking about the unusual scene, a forest official said:
Juliet left quietly as there were visitors in jeeps behind the dog. If not, it is unlikely that the dog would have survived the encounter.
Well, I think the dog deserved some of the credit for making Juliet leave. Its barking was very persuasive.
The dog really showed himself to be a fearless animal!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.