On Africa's wild landscapes, survival can be tenuous for prey species like impala. The ever-present threat of attack from predators warrants vigilance and caution. Typically, impala only have to worry about a single big cat species at a time, but for this unfortunate herd in South Africa's MalaMala Game Reserve, two carnivores came to the party ...

The footage, shared on the MalaMala Game Reserve YouTube page, shows a lioness slinking through a riverbed, her sights set on a herd of impala grazing nearby. However, she's not the only one interested in the potential quarry. A leopard, seemingly unaware of her rival predator, is targeting the same herd.

A group of tourists watching from a nearby vehicle can only guess at which predator might come out on top. The leopard appears only half committed to the hunt and breaks cover. As the impalas sound the alarm, it triggers a frantic chase. A second lioness sprints in from the sidelines to capitalise on the chaos and successfully brings down one of the herd members, leaving the leopard looking on from a rock on the river bank.

Realising that the hunt had gone the way of the lions, the leopard wisely retreats to the safety of a nearby tree to wait it out.