Morne du Plessis filmed the epic moment during his stay in the Kruger National Park.
Lions kill a kudu bull in full view
The spectacular moment began with all the bells and whistles of an epic sighting. A pride of lions charged a kudu bull into the shallow waters of a river.
They pulled the kudu to the ground with phenomenal force and energy; leaving a splash of water and water cascading outwards towards the riverbank.
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Pride members run towards kill for a feed
This was a fairly large pride and as soon as the kudu splashed into the waters, the lions came running towards it; closing in on it with hunger and fury.
They gathered around the kudu in numbers, with even more lions running towards the fallen kudu, to get their fair share of food in.
Large pride gathers in feeding frenzy
The first to gather were lionesses which had coordinated a team effort to bring the kudu down. However, more and more lions gathered. The lionesses were joined by large male lions, as well as younger lions, including cubs.
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Then it was time to feed. A feeding frenzy ensued. The kudu rested on some raised sand which formed something of an island in the river. The water where it lay was shallow, allowing the lions to gather around it with ease.
Sneaky crocodile attempts to get close to kill
However, the shallow water allowed just enough covering for a crocodile to sneak up on the feeding pride. It too had been alerted by the commotion and the familiar scents of a kill, and being something of an opportunist, it swam towards the carcass, hoping for a free feed.
Its spiny back could be seen peeping above the water’s surface. The river was shallow closer to the kill and its presence was soon evident… even to the lions.
The first to notice the crocodile was a lioness, who lifted her head, her ears pricked up to attention. She followed the movement of the croc.
A large male lion had also noticed the scavenger, and stood up to move towards the crocodile; sufficiently intimidating the creature to keep it at bay. He opened his mouth with a snarl and showed some teeth.
The crocodile swam past, unharmed by the lions. However, also without getting close to the meal.
To make sure he didn’t try, the lions kept an eye on him, and moved towards him when he got too close to the carcass.
‘Teamwork makes the dream work’
The waters of the river might not have been their ‘turf’, so to speak, however, this pride of lions showed that with teamwork, lions can be the ‘King of the Jungle’, and even of the river.
The large pride held the attention of game viewers and provided an exemplary example of how lions function as a unit; not only to catch their prey, but also to ward off potential scavengers.
