Tricky porcupine manages to fend off leopard by constantly backing up with spiky side

A tricky porcupine managed to fend off the advances of a hungry leopard by backing up its spikes.

Ard van de Wetering was travelling through Kruger National Park with his wife when he spotted a ravenous predator on the hunt for some food.

PIC FROM Ard van de Wetering/ Caters News

As the leopard jumped in a culvert, it arrived upon a prickly snack, who had no intention of becoming the next meal.

After concerted efforts to try and manoeuvre an attack, the porcupine constantly thwarted the attempts by using its well-defended back to walk towards.

Following a 30 minutes long tussle, the leopard finally gave up and moved on to new prey, leaving the porcupine in the middle of the road.

PIC FROM Ard van de Wetering/ Caters News

Ard said: “It was a once in a lifetime sighting. 

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that we would experience an encounter like this first hand.

“Porcupines indeed have a brilliant self-defence mechanism.

“It was as if the leopard gave up or got bored after a while. 

PIC FROM Ard van de Wetering/ Caters News

“It was clearly inexperienced, and the porcupine had all the tricks in the book.”