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Home Animals Buck Fighting Wild Dogs And Hippos Gets Caught By Croc

Buck Fighting Wild Dogs And Hippos Gets Caught By Croc

Field guide Wayne Myburgh witnessed a nyala put up a brave fight in the face of wild dogs and hippos, surviving the ordeal, before being snatched and pulled underwater by a stealthy croc.

Heather Djunga
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This unbelievable sighting played out at Royal Malewane in the Greater Kruger.

The call to an adventure

Wayne explained that it had been a fairly ordinary morning of game viewing. Out on a drive, they heard about some wild dogs which had just chased a nyala bull into Quelea Dam.

They took a drive down to the dam, expectant to see an incredible sighting: “Knowing about the presence of a crocodile and about 12 hippos that live there we knew it could get interesting and made our way there.”

The nyala had sought refuge by standing in the river, with the wild dogs seemingly not being keen to enter the water. Instead, they stayed at the edge, threatening the nyala, which used its horns and lithe limbs as a display of intimidation; to ward of their attack.

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Caught between a rock and a hard place

This was when a rather large hippo appeared behind the nyala. The hippo reared its head in full view of the spectators, who could now see that the nyala was ‘caught between a rock and a hard place.’

Wayne said his adrenaline was pumping, because he knew the potential of all the outcomes this sighting could have.

At first the nyala was oblivious to the hippo’s presence. However, when the hippo closed in on the buck, it turned just in time, to defend itself with its pointy horns.

However large the hippo was, the buck’s vehement stabbing at it with its horns managed to scare it off. The colossal beast turned around and disappeared beneath the stirred-up water for a moment.

Still, as Wayne explained, the battle was far from over. While the battle with the hippo was won, the helpless nyala would soon have another predator to contend with.

Its decision to enter the water to evade the wild dogs possibly wasn’t the smartest one – but then, where else would it have run to in the face of danger.

The nyala now started to show signs of weariness. More wild dogs gathered on the shore, as the buck seemed to cower under the pressure.

The hippos did not stay far away, and for Wayne and his crew, this was definitely edge-of-the-seat viewing. Armed with just a strong will to live and a set of fine horns, the buck persisted in its efforts to stay alive at all costs.

A new threat emerges

However, it didn’t see a set of eyes appear above the water’s surface, moving their way closer to where the buck stood in shallow water.

The eyes belonged to a crocodile, which was about to use the element of surprise to pull the buck down.

While the nyala had successfully managed to keep its head about water throughout the ordeal, it didn’t take long for the croc to pull it beneath the surface.

The crocodile pulled it into its grip, and with a sheer display of might, disappeared into the watery grave with its prey. On the shore still, the wild dogs watched on.

Said Wayne: “After guiding for 13 years it was so awesome to experience something you have never witnessed before. Definitely always try to get some footage – but don’t forget to put the camera down and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Watch the sighting:

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