by roshini Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:13 pmThe mighty mouse played with death when he tucked into a leopard's lunch!
Bold ... cheeky mouse munches lunch
The little critter snacked on scraps of meat thrown into the killer cat's cage, seemingly unaware of the beast towering over him.
But instead of pouncing on the tiny intruder 12-year-old leopard Sheena appeared to be afraid of the daring mouse and kept her distance
Extraordinary
Back off ... rodent stands its ground
At one stage she tried to nudge the three inch tall rodent away with her nose, but the determined little chap carried on chewing away until he was full.
The extraordinary scene was captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge at the Santago Rare Leopard Project, in Hertfordshire.
The 19-year-old, from Potters Bar, Herts, said: "I have no idea where the mouse came from - he just appeared in the enclosure after the keeper had dropped in the meat for the leopard.
"He didn't take any notice of the leopard, just went straight over to the meat and started feeding himself.
"But the leopard was pretty surprised - she bent down and sniffed the mouse and flinched a bit like she was scared.
Bold ... cheeky mouse munches lunch
The little critter snacked on scraps of meat thrown into the killer cat's cage, seemingly unaware of the beast towering over him.
But instead of pouncing on the tiny intruder 12-year-old leopard Sheena appeared to be afraid of the daring mouse and kept her distance
Extraordinary
Back off ... rodent stands its ground
At one stage she tried to nudge the three inch tall rodent away with her nose, but the determined little chap carried on chewing away until he was full.
The extraordinary scene was captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge at the Santago Rare Leopard Project, in Hertfordshire.
The 19-year-old, from Potters Bar, Herts, said: "I have no idea where the mouse came from - he just appeared in the enclosure after the keeper had dropped in the meat for the leopard.
"He didn't take any notice of the leopard, just went straight over to the meat and started feeding himself.
"But the leopard was pretty surprised - she bent down and sniffed the mouse and flinched a bit like she was scared.