In some ways the African leopard is the most dangerous of the big five. The cat is fearless and often attacks anything, or anyone, who tries to harm it.  It’s muscles are so powerful, it can kill an impala the size of a deer and drag the entire carcass up a tree. If captured in a trap, its first instinct is to attack the person who trapped it, ripping with huge claws and teeth.

For all of these reasons, Henk van den Berg looked death in the eyes and made all of the right moves. While bowhunting in a ground blind in Namibia, he heard guinea fowl chattering and believed a predator was nearby. He looked out the shooting window just as a mature leopard looked in. For a second, each stared at the other, until van den Berg clapped his hands, causing the cat to back away. In this video, you can see it scratch a tree and make a scent post before walking slowly away. The video is a bit shaky, due to the terror that the hunter faced.

Have you had a similar close encounter? If so, tell us about it in the comments section below.

Photo: Shaun Thorpe, Deviant Art