Pulling wild faces was just enough for this baby leopard cutie to scare away a pack of ruthless jackals.
Travelling the wilds of the African bush this little leopard family of a mum and two cubs ran into a SPOT of bother in the shape of greedy jackals looking for their next meal.
Mum managed to grab one of her cubs in her mouth leaving its brave but pint-sized sibling to fend for itself while she carried the cub to safety.
But with striking blue eyes and a fierce display of big-cat prowess its mother would be proud of the little lone leopard was able to keep the cowardly jackals at bay until help could arrive – in the shape of one angry mother. The cubs were re-united by mum and they carried on their journey.
Photographers Michel and Christine Denis-Huot, from France, captured the heart-warming moment while travelling through the Masai Mara wildlife reserve in Kenya.
‘We were following a leopard mother with her two young cubs,’ said Christine, 60.
‘The cubs were so cute playing with each other as well as with their mother.
‘As soon as she began to walk the jackals were following her.
‘She managed to take one of the cubs in her mouth and the other one was walking.
‘Sadly the last cub was tired and had to stop in the long grass.
‘The jackals stopped too and became more and more aggressive.
‘The cub had to fend them off by making as much noise as possible and look aggressive.’
The scene lasted about three minutes before the cub eventually escaped.
Leopards are one of the top predators of the Masai Mara.
Despite this their lives are fraught with danger from other hunters, as well as hunting by humans and the destruction of their natural environment.
As such they are regarded as on the brink of being threatened by scientists.
