This is the moment a leopard got its nose pricked by a porcupine’s quills as it repeatedly tried to catch and eat the spiny creature.

The predator was resting in a roadside tree in South Africa’s Kruger National Park when its unsuspecting prey passed by.

With a length of one and a half meters, the leopard rushes forward and charges ???? – but ended up with several porcupine quills stuck in its mouth and legs.

Traffic came to a standstill as the startled hedgehog ran across the road in a desperate attempt to escape.

After the leopard was injured in the first attack, it ran away from its prey and then attacked a second time. The hedgehog tried to cross the road but was eventually taken down by the big cat.

Yusuf Chaʋoos was driving his car through the National Park when he saw two animals burst out of a tree and became involved in a dramatic struggle.

“It seems like the leopard is trying to get to the porcupine’s belly or hind legs because there are fewer quills there,” he said.

‘Compared to the leopard, the hedgehog is moving slowly on the road.’

The 42-year-old optometrist from Johannesburg jumped out of the car to record the action.

He said: “The hedgehog looked very shocked and scared.

‘It is very rare to see leopards attack porcupines. Leopards do this which is very dangerous because they can damage their fur.

‘It’s hard to describe how I felt when I saw this, but I can say that I feel lucky and fortunate to witness something so rare’.

Video tape: