Watch The Sighting Here:
This video was submitted to Latest Sightings by Allan, who witnessed this dramatic encounter. He filmed it from the H10 bridge near Lower Sabie Camp, in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
An Uncertain Snarl
As Allan’s video begins, we see a young male lion standing in the shallows of the Sabie River. He appears uncertain, snarling at an unfamiliar object in the water a few metres ahead of him. Little does he realise he is looking at a large Nile crocodile.
Moments later, the unfamiliar object sinks below the surface of the water, and with that, the lion relaxes. It then becomes apparent that the lion intends to cross the swiftly flowing river.
Getting Into Deep Water
Tentatively, the young male lowers his front legs into deeper water as he prepares to cross the river. Like most felines, lions typically avoid water unless necessary.
However, they will swim when necessary.
Resurfaced
No sooner has the lion taken to the water than the crocodile resurfaces. The consummate ambush hunter, this is the moment the crocodile was waiting for.
Consequently, seeing the lion swimming away to its left, with a swish of its tail, the crocodile sets off after it. As it does, Allan’s companion reacts with audible anguish.
In Its Element
Around the same time, the lion spots the pursuing crocodile. However, its swimming speed is no match for that of the croc.
Evolved to master its aquatic environment, the crocodile is in its element, while the lion is way out of its depth.
Going In For The Kill
Within seconds, the crocodile has caught up to the frantic lion. As it nears, the croc raises its head and opens its jaws, preparing to grab the lion.
The croc lunges, jaws wide, appearing to take the lion by the head. Both predators disappear beneath the swirling waters. As the pair disappears beneath the swirling waters, we again hear the tourists’ anguish at the lion’s fate.
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Relief
To the relief of both the bystanders and the lion, it resurfaces seconds later. Somehow, it managed to escape the jaws of its prehistoric attacker.
Subsequently, shocked by its near-death experience, the lion wastes no time getting as far away as possible from the crocodile. However, as it runs through the shoulder depth water, we see a second croc approaching.
Thankfully for the lion, this one was too slow, and the lion easily managed to evade it.
When Predators Prey On Predators
Incidents of predators attacking other predators are not unusual. However, for the most part, when this happens, it is generally when different terrestrial species are competing for resources, territory, or to assert dominance.
In most cases, predators do not feed on each other after a kill. They seem to be content to have eliminated a competitor.
However, in the incident shown in the video, this is a case of an attempted predation to secure a meal. Large meals can be hard to come by for crocodiles. So, when an opportunity presents itself, they must act.
We hope that for the lion’s sake, it has learnt its lesson. Hopefully, next time it will look a bit closer before it leaps.