This story could be a scene from a Walt Disney Movie.  A little rat – thought to be only two to three months old – was spotted scampering into the leopard’s enclosure shortly after feeding time at the Santago Rare Leopard Project, in Hertfordshire. So intent was the plucky rodent on its mission to snatch a tasty snack, that it seemed not to notice that its path was taking it within a whisker’s breadth of 12-year-old Sheena.

Clutching a corner of raw meat with its tiny paws, the rat busily tucked in, until it sensed one of those whiskers moving in. Sheena, bemused by the interloper coming between her and the remains of dinner, padded over on paws big enough to wreak vengeance with a single swipe.

Rattus paused, lifted its dainty pink claws in submission, then – obviously deciding on a nothing-ventured-nothing-gained approach – continued to tuck in. After another tentative investigation, Sheena gave the leopard equivalent of a shrug and turned away.

An expert at the Wildlife Trust said the creature was in fact a young and ‘inexperienced rat’, identifiable by its big paws and ears and more importantly its bald, scaly tail with a thick base.

This extraordinary series of images was captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge, as he trained his camera on the leopard for a course project.

Read the full story by Beth Hale at Mail Online