it’s really more poetic than normal, everyday english. you would probably hear something like that on a tv show or in a movie. it’s just saying they were casually paying attention to it. hope that helps. 😉

When facing an adjective + noun it is sometimes helpful to compare opposites and contrasting adjectives as the adj. is describing the way in which the action is carried out. Although there may not be a specific meaning, we can infer the nature of acting e.g. the leopard was not behaving in a destructive, strong or brutal manner towards the thorn tree.