Tag: close encounter

Ferocious leopard fight broken up, emphatically, by third leopard

Dramatic footage shows a dominant male leopard bolting in to end a fight between a female leopard and her adult daughter.

A fierce battle between leopards, apparently a mother and adult daughter, was forcefully declared over recently by a third leopard that bolted in to separate the combatants.

The accompanying footage was shared by Safari Travel Ideas, which stated:

“The mother entered the daughter’s territory in pursuit of the area’s dominant male, who at the time was with the daughter. Daughter was not happy about that as you can see.”

The wild confrontation played out in front of tourists in Sabi Sands Nature Reserve in South Africa. The footage, best viewed with audio, shows the male leopard knocking both female leopards into apparent submission.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDkCI-GtRjg/?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA%3D%3D

Angry hippo tries to take a bite out of a safari vehicle

An experienced safari guide put his vehicle in reverse and skillfully fled a charging hippo in an unforgettable encounter.

Safari tourists experienced some tense moments when they encountered an angry hippo in the middle of the road at the Manyoni Private Game Reserve in South Africa.

Driver and guide Sandiso recognized the hippo as one of the larger bulls in the area that is “known to be on the grumpier side,” and the assessment proved accurate.

“Sandiso could…tell by the hippo’s behavior that it was in no mood for company!” Latest Sightings wrote in its post on YouTube.

So Sandiso put the vehicle in reverse and began slowly backing up until the hippo broke into a “full-blown charge” toward the vehicle.

When the hippo lunged at the vehicle, Sandiso hit the gas, and managed to make a turn onto a dirt road, leaving the hippo in the dust.

“The reaction from everyone in the vehicle in the aftermath said it all: a brief moment of silence, followed by lots of nervous giggles and a very quiet Sandiso in the driver’s seat,” Latest Sightings reported.

Photo credit: Latest Sightings

“It’s safe to say that no one there will ever be forgetting this encounter. Thanks to experience and composure, everything ended in what probably is the best way possible. The hippo moved on safely, the vehicle was unharmed, and most importantly, everyone in the vehicle was completely all right.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Lions think they can take down a rhino; boy, where they wrong (video)

“At a time when many of us will be traveling to the bush for our end-of-year holidays, this serves as a reminder of just how cautious we need to be. The wild is truly wild!”

Photos courtesy of Latest Sightings.

Watch: Tourist wants no part of close tiger encounter

Footage shows the woman standing and pleading with the driver to leave, while others in the vehicle remained calm – and for good reason.

Imagine that you’re on safari observing a tiger at close range and one guest stands in the vehicle and loudly pleads with the driver to back away.

“Please, can you go?!” the woman insists in the accompanying footage, using a hand gesture for emphasis. Later in the footage, the woman again stands and demands that it’s time to leave.

The footage was captured last year in India’s Ranthambore National Park. It was reposted Tuesday by Ranthambhore Wildlife, titled, “Tiger scares lady or lady scared tiger.”

The video inspired lots of social-media commentary and one follower remarked that “yelling like an idiot” could have provoked an attack.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0Woobly6Hw/

Another chimed in: “This woman is more aggressive than the poor tiger! What’s wrong with her?”

It’s worth noting that tigers in India’s wildlife reserves are accustomed to the presence of safari vehicles and typically do not become aggressive if tourists and guides remain quietly seated.

If a tiger approaches, it’s essential that everyone remains calm.

A few comments were somewhat in defense of the woman, but many were critical and several people pointed out that tourists pay lots of money for the chance to observe wild tigers.

While some might question whether the driver allowed this to become too close of an encounter, Ranthambhore Wildlife implied that the woman was the only person violating protocol:

“It’s essential to remember that tigers are wild animals and deserve our respect. As we venture into their natural habitat, we must prioritize our safety and theirs.

“A calm and composed demeanor is crucial in such situations. By following the guidelines and exercising self-control, we can ensure a thrilling yet safe experience for both humans and animals alike.”

Ranthambore National Park is in the state of Rajasthan. The forested region is home to more than 80 Bengal tigers and other large animals, such as leopards, sloth bears, and crocodiles.

Ranthambhore Wildlife (note difference in spelling) operates safaris twice-daily in the park.

‘Disorderly’ Yellowstone tourist arrested after run-in with bison

The visitor from Idaho was charged with being under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and approaching and disturbing wildlife.

Yellowstone National Park marked its spring opening on April 19, and it took only two days for a careless tourist to become injured by a bison.

The park announced Monday that on April 21, Clarence Yoder of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was injured after illegally approaching within 25 yards of a bison.

The incident occurred on the West Entrance Road near the Seven Mile Bridge. Yoder, 40, sustained only minor injuries and was subsequently arrested.

According to a news release, Yoder was arrested by a ranger who was responding to reports that Yoder was harassing a herd of bison and had kicked a bison in the leg.

He was charged with being under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and approaching and disturbing wildlife.

Bison images courtesy of Yellowstone National Park

McKenna Bass, 37, who was driving the vehicle in which Yoder had been riding, was cited for driving under the influence, interference or failure to yield to emergency light activation, and disturbing wildlife.

Both men, who face fines of up to $5,000 and six months of jail for each violation, pleaded innocent of all charges on April 22.

This was the first reported incident involving a park tourist being injured by a bison in 2024. The last such incident occurred on July 17, 2023.

Humpback whale and calf provide rare thrill for Maui snorkelers

Footage shows the “surprise guests” approaching the swimmers at a popular dive spot before heading back to deeper water.

In Hawaii, it’s against the law to approach whales in an attempt to swim with the mammals. But every now and then, whales do the approaching when boats are idle and people are already in the water.

The accompanying footage shows a momma humpback whale and her calf swimming briefly with snorkelers at Molokini, a popular dive spot near Maui.

The footage also features the wonderful reactions of those aboard the Pride of Maui vessel, as both whales seem to inspect the snorkelers before swimming to deeper water.

“We had surprise guests snorkeling with us today at Molokini!” the Pride of Maui exclaimed Sunday. “Mahalo to our crew for capturing this rare moment!”

The footage shows the baby whale surfacing to breathe, but its exhalations are too weak to form a spout of mist.

The Pride of Maui encouraged viewers to watch to the end because that’s when momma whale provides the telltale “blow” as she takes a deep breath before diving.

Thousands of humpback whales are in Hawaiian waters for the breeding and calving season, which runs through May.

Tourists fail to spot lion in ‘funny moment’ caught on video

The tourists seemed aware that a lion was close, but they had no idea how close.

A Kenya-based photographer on Thursday captured a “funny moment” involving two tourists hoping to spot a lion, seemingly unaware that a lion was standing immediately behind their truck.

Pareet Shah’s footage (posted below), captured in Maasai Mari National Reserve, shows the lion hidden from the men as they stood inside the vehicle and scanned the landscape.

Shah told FTW Outdoors that he did not know the tourists and explained:

“The sub-adult male lion from the Topi Pride came out from behind the bush and the tourists were scampering in their car looking for lions, not to realize there was one just behind their car! It was a funny moment.”

The vehicle belongs to Matoke Tours Africa and one of Shah’s followers commented, jokingly: “Welcome to Matoke Tours! We guarantee you will get very close with lions but you will not be able to see it!”

Matoke Tours was good-natured, sharing the clip via Instagram and writing: “Ehm… where did the lion go? Our travelers probably never imagined we would take them this close! Amazing shot by [Pareet Shah].”

Maasai Mara National Reserve is in southwestern Kenya. The Topi Pride is dominant in the Topi Plains region.

‘Intense’ moments as orcas attack sea lions next to small boat

Capt. Delaney Trowbridge said afterward that it was “likely the closest I’ll ever feel to being ‘hunted’ by an orca myself.”

Of the many orca encounters enjoyed by boaters off Southern California last week, perhaps the most thrilling spectacle involved killer whales hunting sea lions next to a small boat.

The accompanying footage, shared Sunday by Capt. Delaney Trowbridge of Pacific Offshore Expeditions, shows transient orcas methodically attacking sea lions that attempted to use her boat as cover.

While viewers don’t witness a kill, Trowbridge assured in her Instagram description, “The orcas were successful in their hunt.”

Her footage, captured near Anacapa Island off Ventura County, shows the agile orcas repeatedly passing and swiping at sea lions with their flukes, at times spraying passengers.

Trowbridge described the stirring exhibition:

“One of the most exhilarating encounters I’ve ever had happened just the other day, when a desperate pair of sea lions tried using our boat to shelter themselves from a hungry pod of killer whales (CA140Bs). One of the most amazing things about orcas is their unparalleled problem-solving skills that make them such effective predators.

“The whales made sure to capitalize on every opportunity [when] the sea lions strayed too far from their cover, slowly whittling down their prey. It was incredibly intense to be in the middle of this deadly game of cat and mouse; likely the closest I’ll ever feel to being ‘hunted’ by an orca myself.”

Transient killer whales are more commonly spotted off Central California and points north. Encounters off Southern California are rare.

The encounter with the transient pod occurred just after Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales, infrequent visitors from Mexico, had spent days hunting dolphins between San Diego and Los Angeles.

–Top image, captured by Delaney Trowbridge, shows transient orcas beneath the surface near Anacapa Island

Man climbs into boat just in time as great white shark approaches

Two men, one fishing and the other taking a dip off the stern, were unaware that a great white shark was heading in their direction.

Two men, one fishing and the other taking a dip in the ocean off the boat’s stern, were unaware that a great white shark was heading in their direction.

The situation became more intense as the shark got closer and closer with filmmaker Carlos Gauna watching from his camera-equipped drone.

“The moment does bring me some worry,” Gauna stated in the video showing the encounter. “I move the drone closer and closer. They must hear it. Once again, I move the drone up and down.”

Finally, the man fishing noticed the shark and alerted his fishing partner to get out of the water. He did so as the shark came within 10 feet of the man.

Both men thanked Gauna with a thumbs-up sign.

The 10-minute video on Gauna’s YouTube channel called TheMalibuArtist does not lack drama. It opens with a spearfisherman, who is also oblivious to the shark that is swimming close by. The encounter with the boat fishermen starts around the 4:40 mark.

After swimming near the spearfisherman, the shark turned its attention to the boat and fisherman in the water, or at least that’s what it appeared.

Gauna, based in Southern California and whose works have been used by National Geographic and Discovery Channel, finally disclosed in the video why the shark was so interested in the boat. The fishermen’s catch was on a stringer in the water near where the man took a dip.

Gauna stated that it’s an example of people on the water needing situational awareness and knowing what attracts sharks.

Trail-cam operator reveals grizzly bear ‘near encounters’

A trail-cam operator in the Yukon Territory has shared “near-encounter” footage showing grizzly bears in front of his camera on the same days as his maintenance visits.

Those who monitor trail cameras in grizzly bear country must wonder how close they might be to bears when they check their devices.

The accompanying footage, featured by David Troup of Yukon Wildlife  Cams, provides an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be the person who maintains the cameras.

In his Facebook post, Troup revealed how much time passed between grizzly bear visits to the camera site and Troup’s visits on the same days.

“On four occasions this summer I checked cameras on the same day as grizzlies visited, with an increasing trend in separation times, thankfully,” Troup stated. “The near encounters were separated by times of (hours:minutes) 2:24, 4:38, 6:56, and 7:27.”

The bears include a probable large boar at the beginning of the footage, and a sow with cubs.

Troup, who appears in front of the camera between bear appearances, cautioned anyone entering bear country to carry bear spray, make noise, and “hope the space-time continuum is on your side.”

Facebook followers thanked Troup for showcasing the Yukon Territory’s wildlife, but some expressed concern for his safety.

Troup told FTW Outdoors:

“I just responded to a comment of what my point of the post was so it’s not interpreted as me presenting myself as some ‘brave outdoorsman’ narrative.

“Everyone who spends time outdoors likely has near encounters with a variety of wildlife yet may not realize it. But with trail cams we sometimes capture those moments.”

Viewers will note that the first bear sniffs the camera before continuing its journey.

Wild animals have an acute sense of their surroundings and react to motion-sensor cameras in different ways.

Last year, one of Troup’s cameras captured footage of a “camera-shy” coyote that paused in front of and quickly bounded away from the device.

Troup explained that his cameras are well disguised, but added: “Inevitably wildlife can detect peculiarities in their environment, whether it’s by sight, sound or smell.”

Watch: Kayak angler at center of epic battle between shark, seal

A kayak angler on Sunday found himself in the middle of an epic battle between a relentless shark and frightened seal off New Zealand’s Eastern Cape.

A kayak angler on Sunday found himself in the middle of a frenetic battle between a relentless shark and frightened seal off New Zealand’s Eastern Cape.

Greg Potter was so close to the action, which he captured on video, that the shark rammed his 12-foot kayak twice as the seal attempted to use the vessel as cover.

“If it had managed to get me out of the kayak, that that could have been a pretty disastrous ending,” Potter told the New Zealand Herald. “I was dressed in full black. I can only imagine what the shark would have made of my legs thrashing around.”

Potter pedaled his kayak closer after spotting a disturbance in the distance. He soon discovered that he was witnessing a predation attempt by what he described as a young white shark.

“I’ve got a juvenile great white shark chasing a seal out here,” he says in the footage. “It’s unreal.”

The shark seemed unable to immobilize the seal during a chase that lasted more than a minute.

It was not clear if the seal ultimately escaped because Potter smartly pedaled away after the shark began to bump his his kayak.

“When the seal hid under the kayak, the shark came crashing up from underneath and smashed into the bottom of the kayak,” Potter said. “Then they did another few laps around the kayak, and then a second time, the shark again smashed the underside of the kayak.”

As for the shark species, we reached out to California-based white shark expert Chris Lowe and after viewing the footage he doubted it was a white shark.

“There are no black tips on the ventral side of the pectoral fins,” said Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach. “It’s kind of hard to see from the video, but from the frames I stopped I couldn’t see distinct black on ventral side of the pects and the body seems pretty thin.”

Regardless, it was a harrowing encounter for Potter, who had been fishing six miles beyond Waihau Bay.

–Image is a video screen grab