It’s a rude awakening… A leopard sneaks up on a sleeping wild boar and pushes it before killing it in a fierce battle in South Africa.

With dangerous predators like leopards roaming the unforgiving terrain, these photos show it’s not a place to be caught sleeping.

This wild boar was dozing by the water in Kruger National Park when a wide-eyed leopard spotted an opportunity for an easy meal.

It silently stalks its prey and appears unsure whether the beast is asleep or dead, so it tentatively nudges it with one paw, prompting it to awaken from its slumber and desperately try to leap from the ground.

But the battle is already lost, and the leopard pins its prey to the ground after a short battle and then wraps its vice-like jaw around its neck.

Amateur photographer Lisl Moolman, 41, took the photographs in South Africa’s Kruger National Park after spotting the scene through her binoculars.

Moolman, from Phalaborwa, South Africa, said: “Some visitors pointed out to me that the leopard was lying behind a mopani bush on the other side of the dam. Through the binoculars I could see him staring in one direction.

‘The leopard approached the unconscious sleeping boar. Blissfully unaware, the boar only realized his fate when the leopard gently touched him with his front paw. What a rude awakening!

‘The leopard almost seemed surprised at how easy it was. The entire process from when he touched it with his paw, until he died, lasted approximately ten minutes. The wild boar struggled weakly from time to time, but he had no chance against this strong male leopard.

Close up: The leopard sees its prey from afar and smells the food, so it starts walking towards the wild boar in the Kruger National Park.

Confusion: The leopard seems unsure if the wild boar is an easy meal or is simply sleeping on the dry plain.

Wakey Wakey: There is only one way to tell if the boar is dead or alive, so the leopard touches a tentative paw to the sleeping creature to see if it can provoke any movement.

Quick Kill: The wild boar wakes up abruptly and jumps quickly, but is not fast enough to escape the powerful leopard, which quickly loses its chance to eat and pins its prey to the ground.

Quick Fight: There is a fight before the boar is finally forced to surrender when the leopard grabs him.

No Escape: The cunning predator gives no ground to its opponent as it makes a valiant effort to escape the jaws of death.

Final Battle: The boar makes a last desperate attempt to escape after the leopard has already inflicted some painful wounds on it.

End of the game: the predator prevails and goes in for the kill, biting its neck with its vice-like jaws until it stops breathing.

Claiming the Prize: The predator begins dragging its prey down the dusty path after winning the battle with the horned beast.

Cat’s eyes: Amateur photographer Lisl Moolman took the photos in Kruger National Park after spotting the scene through her binoculars.

Relief: The antelope watches knowing that if it had arrived a few moments earlier, it might well have been in the