Zum ersten Mal wurden gefährdete Leopardenhaie in freier Wildbahn beobachtet, wobei Wissenschaftler einen „Dreier“ mit zwei Männern und einer Frau betrafen

[Endangered leopard sharks](https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/science/leopard-shark-mating-study-scli-intl?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit) have been observed mating in the wild for the first time, with scientists witnessing a “threesome” involving two males and a female.

The encounter was filmed by Hugo Lassauce, a marine biologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, and documented in a research paper published in the [Journal of Ethology](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10164-025-00866-4) on Thursday.

Lassauce told CNN that mating events are rare to witness in any shark species, and researchers have only previously seen courtship interactions, where a male chases after a female, but not the act itself.

Leopard sharks, or Stegostoma tigrinum, are found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, but populations are decreasing, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which lists the species as endangered.