A couple were left covered in blood after fighting off a wild leopard with their bare hands as it tried to force its way into their tent to eat them.
Experienced bush campers Gavin Allderman and his partner Jill Sheard, both 67, fought for their lives during the attack this month in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa.
Photographs from the aftermath of the terrifying incident show the couple’s clothes and tent covered in blood from Mr Allderman’s fists being sliced by the razor-sharp claws of the big cat.
With no weapons to hand, Ms Sheard supported her partner in his battle by using a pillow and even her book to beat the beast on the head.
Leopard attacks on humans are rare but there have been recent fatalities in South Africa and the powerful predators can bring down prey the size of a buffalo.
This particular animal is believed to have been malnourished hence the unusual behaviour in attacking a tent, which was mounted on the roof of the couple’s off-road vehicle.
Mr Allderman and Ms Sheard, who are South Africans of British descent, said they noticed a cat, which they thought might be a cheetah because it was so thin, near their vehicle around dusk.
Not taking any chances with the wildlife, they fixed motion sensor lights to the roof of their truck so they could be warned of anything coming close.
Mr Allderman said: “We were aware of the animal circling the vehicle by virtue of the motion sensor lights being triggered and at one point we were aware that the ‘cheetah’ had crawled under the bakkie (South African word for 4X4), only its tail visible.
“In the glimpses we caught, we could see the animal was completely emaciated and gaunt. I started feeling uneasy, this was unusual activity, and thought “thank goodness we are in a rooftop tent”.
It was around 1.30am when the pair awoke to the sound of something moving on the ladder to the side of their vehicle.
Mr Allderman added: “I peered down the ladder and saw the animal climbing up. I shouted, ‘He’s coming up the ladder’.
“Screaming and swearing was no deterrent as he scrambled up and launched himself onto the gauze of the tent, his claws gripping the thin fabric with his head inches from my face.
“I started punching at it furiously in the face with all my might. I realised we were now bare fisted fighting for our lives.
“Both of us were shouting and screaming, Jill from behind me, hitting with a pillow at its paws, and then with her book.
“Every now and again the animal pulled its head back in a terrifying gesture as if to attack and bite through the gauze. At these moments I concentrated on punching his claws. I became aware that there was blood spattering in copious amounts, but just carried on punching and shouting, adrenaline coursing through my body in this fight for life.”
Eventually the crazed cat relented and fell back from the tent after Mr Allderman estimates he landed 30 punches.
But the ordeal was not over for the couple, as Ms Sheard said: “Gav was punching at her face, and when she drew her face back, he was punching at her paws.
“We had no weapons with us, so I was shouting and hitting at her paws with a pillow which was the biggest thing at hand. We knew we were fighting for our lives.”
She added after the leopard fell back the couple still knew they were in danger and stuck in the damaged tent.
Ms Sheard, whose son lives in Edinburgh, continued: “We didn’t believe that was the end, we had to get her away. We got the spray water bottle and started spraying at her like a water pistol.
“We were roaring, like beasts, to try and scare her, she was unfazed by it but it was a mild distraction.
“I said ‘get the ladder’ meaning pull it up; Gav unhooked it and then started using it to lunge at her. She did withdraw a few paces, but we still didn’t know the damage to his hand so that didn’t seem sustainable; but it bought us a little time.”
Mr Allderman said the experience unfolding was “like a horror movie” and with the large predator still in the vicinity they had to work out how to get in the vehicle and get away.
He said: “I could either dash down the ladder and confront the beast using the ladder as a weapon, or stealthily creep down the ladder on the opposite side of the bakkie as the animal was now in the A frame hungrily plotting his next move.
“The latter was a less grizzly option as long as the front left door was not locked (a lousy Toyota anomaly).
“Before I over considered this scary option, I opened the tent on the opposite side, slipped down the ladder, my heart pounding in my chest, and into the vehicle which thank God was open.
“Jill hauled the ladder in, shouting to ask if I was ok, but I couldn’t hear her, she was relieved when she saw the headlights illuminating as I slid into the drivers’ seat.”
The shaking couple managed to drive to another camp two miles away while Ms Sheard kept a spotlight on the road to make sure the leopard was not following them.
Bravely they said they did return to their camp later and found the female leopard about 300 metres down the road, apparently exhibiting the behaviour of a predator seeking prey which might have been injured.
Since the ordeal both Mr Allderman and Ms Sheard have had medical attention and informed the South African National Parks (SANPARKS) authority about the attack.
Mr Allderman said: “This was such an unexpected, terrifying and horrific experience which is taking time to assimilate.
“However, one must accept that visiting the wild is a highly risky activity. I have been going to Mabua for 43 years, almost every year and sometimes two or three times a year, so regard myself as reasonably experienced.
“I have always carried an axe and a knife into the tent with me, but the recent acquisition of a rooftop tent has made me feel safer so I have let this practise slip. Big mistake.
“If we had straight away recognised the animal as a leopard, I would have been more alert and cautious.”
The couple said they had not been put off going to the bush again, and even stayed another five nights.