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The Hunt for Food: A Leopard’s Survival in the Kalahari

In The Hunt for Food: A Leopard’s Survival in the Kalahari, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a one-year-old African leopard in the Kalahari Desert learns how to survive on his own by hunting for food. With limited food sources, the young leopard has to be clever and patient. He misses a few chances to catch food, but he keeps trying. Eventually, he returns to find a meal left high in the trees, but getting to it won't be so easy. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
Video Details
Location:
Kalahari Desert
Grades:
3-56-8
Program:
Africa
Time:
5:31
Subject:
Science
Topic:
Life Science

Lesson Express

Q: How does the leopard’s failure to catch prey early on help him learn to be a better hunter?
A: The leopard learns from his mistakes, becoming more patient and careful. Each missed opportunity teaches him how to improve his hunting skills and increase his chances of success next time.

Q: How does the Kalahari Desert environment affect the way animals, like the leopard, hunt and find food?
A: The desert’s limited resources force animals like the leopard to be extra resourceful. They must adapt by using their hunting skills, patience, and sometimes even finding food left behind by others.

Q: Why is it important for the leopard to be able to climb trees to retrieve food?
A: Climbing trees is important because it allows the leopard to access food that other predators cannot reach. It also helps him stay safe from other animals while eating, showing how being able to use the environment is a key survival skill.

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