This is the moment a rare Amur leopard cat, steals a freshly caught fish from an otter in an unprecedented encounter captured on camera.
The footage was recorded in the protected zone of the Ussuri Nature Reserve in the Primorski region of Russia on Tuesday, 17th March.
The video shows the wildcat, reportedly a Far Eastern Wildcat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus), also known as an Amur leopard cat, cautiously approaching an otter that had just caught a fish.
The predator then startles the semi-aquatic animal and takes possession of the catch, leaving the otter without its meal. It then makes off with the fish in its mouth as the footage ends.
Experts said it remains unclear whether the cat, which is also known as a leopard cat, was targeting the otter itself or its prey.
They explained that such behaviour, where one predator takes another’s catch, is known scientifically as kleptoparasitism.
Specialists noted that interactions of this kind between these two species had not previously been recorded, making the footage particularly valuable for research, adding that the images would allow scientists to study the behaviour of wild animals in their natural environment without disturbing them.
The Far-Eastern wildcat is listed in Russia’s Red Book, with only a few thousand individuals remaining in the wild.
According to experts, the species is threatened by natural disasters such as fires and floods, as well as human activity, including poaching and attempts at domestication.
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