Leopard Predation Thread

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A little bit more about leopards and gorillas.

I mentioned earlier about George Schaller and his observations. I don´t remember now in which book he mentioned that personal observation, where he found silverback gorilla and leopard, which had killed each others. But it has been mentioned in many places. One is this book, which is award winner: Man the Hunted: Primates, Predators, and Human Evolution

https://books.google.fi/books?id=MxdWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT196&lpg=PT196&dq=george+schaller+leopard+killed+silverback&source=bl&ots=vO0I2w92QG&sig=ACfU3U0QT-GeG_v8b38lh0Bt7fOg_21GyA&hl=fi&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQ35PJg4PkAhXwlosKHXtNAFgQ6AEwDnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=george%20schaller%20leopard%20killed%20silverback&f=false

Here is short video about George Schaller, just that people can briefly get some understanding who he is.

Here then one case, where in zoo leopard makes full frontal attack and kills a mature male gorilla.

https://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=HR19490923.2.13&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------

Problem with older articles is often reliability. Not possible to find places, dates or people who would have been involved. Or then description of event is more like fairy tale than looking like realistic description what happened. In this case description looks like to be ok. And also it´s possible to find other sources confirming for instance, that Edward Johnson really was working in the zoo mentioned in article.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19931020&slug=1726969
There is also Liberty Lake in Spokane, Washington, USA. So places are ok. 

Another article about same incident: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96217928
Third: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33900208/ll_gorilla_pg_2/

In this third is mentioned sheriff Ralph M. Smith and he can be tracked down too. He is mentioned for instance here:

http://cfp.stparchive.com/page_image.php?paper=CFP&year=1953&month=7&day=24&page=7&mode=F&base=CFP07241953P07&title=Cheney%20Free%20Press

This is screenshot of one article about this case, also photo of leopard there.

*This image is copyright of its original author

And yes, Virginia Chronicle article has been published later, maybe lack of news at time or they got information later, remember, it was 1949. Anyway, for me this case is good, With relatively small digging many details and persons can be verified. So this case backs up observations of highly respected animal experts.


There is also one case, which I don´t now dig up (should make better notes time to time...), but in that case a leopard attacked a gorilla in situation, where there were two gorillas. One could escape right away, another gorilla was wounded, but it managed to flee, leopard followed it a bit, but gave up shortly. This was concluded from tracks, spilled blood and noises, which caused people nearby to notice what was happening. This case was in one newspaper article from Africa.

Walter Baumgartel is one person who has told about his observations what comes to leopard predation of gorillas. Then George Schaller and also Michael Fay have studied the subject.

Here one quote from Michael Fay and also what locals have told to him is included to this. There are more sources about findings of Fay if someone is interested.

"Although human hunters are lowland gorillas' chief enemy, Pygmies have told Fay that leopards eat gorillas. At one site he studied, Fay confirmed these reports when he found intact gorilla toes in some leopard dung."

Source: https://www.deseret.com/1989/5/7/18806289/gorillas-have-body-language-all-their-own

So when someone asks from me, what do I think about leopards and gorillas and can leopard kill a silverback gorilla face to face, my answer is, that I have no doubt about it, that it can. Then again naturally and obviously it attacks usually with ambush advantage.

Does that happen often and is that likely, that leopard attack on purpose targeting silverback? I don´t think so, naturally leopard likes to get easier prey when possible. 

But if there is not a group of gorillas helping, my opinion is, that then gorilla is in bigger trouble than a leopard, if leopard chooses to attack. At least some leopards seem to know what they are doing with gorillas and gorillas seem to be quite easy to make bleed fast and a lot compared to some other animals. Cut in groin area seem to be a quick way to kill a gorilla, some artery seems to be there quite "available".

Leopard is far from invincible, but what comes to apes, it looks like that their defence is based on groups, as individuals they are in big trouble, even silverback dominant male gorillas, even though male gorillas are without a doubt "risky business". Still in cases, which can be considered reliable or probable leopards have upper hand.

These are my thoughts and reasoning. Someone can disagree, but my opinion is quite clear. Expert opinions and observations are such, that I
don´t dare to ignore. Gorillas are impressive, but strength obviously isn´t enough always.

I have been asked about this time to time, so I decided to put here a bit longer posting about it what I think and why.  Reply