A hungry leopard had a prickly encounter and was left with sore paws and its tail between its legs after trying to attack a quill-covered porcupine.

Field guard Craig Schraibman, 26, from Johannesburg, South Africa, managed to capture the moment a hungry leopard had a stand-off with a porcupine.

The leopard wanted to eat the animal for dinner but the brave critter used its natural defences to fend off the big cat with its razor sharp quills.

Ouch! A hungry leopard had a prickly encounter and was left with sore paws and its tail between its legs after trying to attack a quill-covered porcupine

Mr Schraibman was on an early morning drive in the Kruger National Park in South Africa when he came across the hungry male leopard walking in the road.

Mr Schraibman said: ‘The leopard was strolling along the road and then disappeared into the bush, just as a small porcupine came scuttling out.

‘The leopard soon caught smell of the porcupine’s presence and came out of the bush to hunt it.’

Mr Schraibman watched for an hour as the brave porcupine fired razor sharp quills at the leopard again and again.

Mr Schraibman watched for an hour in Kruger National Park as the brave porcupine fired razor sharp quills at the leopard again and again

Mr Schraibman was on an early morning drive in the Kruger National Park in South Africa when he came across the hungry male leopard walking in the road

This leopard bit off more than it could chew and walked away with a sore leg after a porcupine fired razor sharp quills at it

He said: ‘The frustrated leopard was getting speared every time it tried to attack the porcupine and after an hour it eventually realised he was getting nowhere and made his way back to the bush.

‘It was an the most amazing moment to capture on camera.’

Mr Schraibman is a registered and qualified member of the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa and loves taking people around the National Park on photography safari.

Survivor: The porcupine (left) stands tall after managing to fend off the leopard (right) which walked away with an injured leg after a spine got stuck in it

Mr Schraibman, who has been visiting the Kruger National Park since he was four, said: ‘I have the best job in the world. No two days are ever the same and because of that I always have my camera with me – just in case.

‘I pride myself on finding the best game viewing areas for photographic opportunities and sharing my expertise on all the flora and fauna of the Kruger National Park.

Mr Schraibman said: ‘My passion and respect for wildlife and nature has always been a major part of my life.

‘This has blossomed into a huge passion for wildlife photography-especially taking amazing action like to fight between the leopard and the porcupine.

‘I was really lucky to be at the right place at the right time with my camera.’