Most impalas run for their lives at the sight of a leopard but this plucky youngster snuck in for an affectionate embrace instead.
The unlikely friendship between the hunter and its prey was captured in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
The impala nuzzles the big cat’s nose and mouth, and even when its new friend gets a little rough, it shows no signs of running off.
Unlikely friends: The leopard places a paw on the impala in a seemingly gentle sign of affection in South Africa
I’m ignoring you: The impala tries to get the leopards attention at the Kruger National Park
It started with a kiss: The impala nuzzles in under the leopards jaw and rubs up against his big cat chum
The encounter was filmed by game ranger Estiaan Houy, 31, while out on safari with British and American guests.
He said: ‘In all my years of being a game ranger I have never seen such an encounter, nor do I ever expect to see a repeat of it again.
‘I felt amazed and honoured to see such a rare and unexplainable sighting.
‘The impala at no stage showed any signs of distress or fear. Every time the leopard would playfully interact with the baby impala, it would return to the leopard and either sniff its face or push its head against the leopard’s face.
‘A few times the impala would jump away from the leopard and, true to cat form, the leopard would pull it back closer with its claws.’
Mr Houy said young leopards sometimes play with their prey due to a lack of killing experience, and believes this may explain the odd encounter.
I’m just trying to scratch: The leopard uses its rear paw to scratch its neck as the friendly impala closes in
Eye spy: Something catches the leopards attention to the left as the impala looks on
Game ranger Estiaan Houy who spotted the encounter said in all his years on the job he had never spotted such as unlikely friendship and said he never expects to ‘see a repeat of it again’
Catch me if you can: Cuddle time over, the impala decides to stretch its legs, which intrigues the leopard
You’ve got no chance: As the impala gathers some speed the big cat makes a hasty turn in pursuit
Two on one: Another leopard joins the fun as the trio run together across a clearing in the park
He added: ‘Although this appears to be play, only the leopard was actually playing and not the impala.
‘The impala rubbed faces with the leopard because it’s a newborn and doesn’t know any better.
‘The leopard could have been waiting for the baby’s mother to return and then kill her.’
Houy, who works for Jock Safari Lodge, says the amiable interaction lasted for an hour before the leopard lazily strolled into a bush, closely followed by the impala.
Down you go: The leopard places a paw on the impala’s back, gnetly nudging it to the ground
Meal mates: The impala looks set to become the big cats lunch, but the rough play is all in the name of fun
Just chilling: Having had a run, the leopards and the impala take a rest, but William Fox from INGWE Leopard Research said while the pictures may suggest the leopards had made a friend, they were just doing what many big cats do, ‘it is playing with its prey’
William Fox, the senior project manager from INGWE Leopard Research said: ‘The leopard is just doing what leopards do and like many cats, it is playing with its prey.
‘I’ve seen similar things before, when just like a domestic cat, which may bring a mouse home and play with i), this leopard is just playing around before the inevitable.
‘As much as it would be nice to think predator and prey became buddies, the instances of vegetarian leopards are non existent, so the end result is very likely to not have ended well for the Impala.’
It is not known what happened afterwards – but sadly it is likely the friendship only lasted until dinnertime.
