Watch the Sighting:
Mike Johnson, a retiree enjoying the thrills of safari, was on a game drive between Skukuza and Satara in late April when he came across this exciting sighting. His safari group was passing a dam near the side of the road when their routine stop became something far more thrilling…
A Fierce Struggle
When a splash disrupted the peaceful scene, everyone first assumed a hippo was moving around and nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. On closer investigation, Mike noticed a group of waterbuck surrounding the disturbed water who appeared especially disturbed.
Thinking on the spot, he quickly attached his 500mm lens to his camera to get a closer look. Upon zooming in, Mike saw an astonishing sight — on the muddy shore, a crocodile was latched on to the leg of a waterbuck!
A dramatic tug-of-war was occurring between the crocodile who was trying to drag its prey into the water, and the waterbuck who was struggling to resist and escape the crocodile’s death grip. It appeared that the crocodile bit off a little more than it could chew because the waterbuck was quite a bit larger than it, but this did not stop the crocodile’s fierce determination.
One Last Attempt
Despite its size, the waterbuck began to tire after a while of struggling. The crocodile had managed to pull it all the way to the water’s edge!
The two seemed to take a short break from the struggle, and in a brief miscalculated moment, the crocodile attempted to change its grip. It was at this moment that the waterbuck saw a window of opportunity and made a final struggle.
It kicked at the crocodile’s head and bolted up, scrambling away through the mud. The crocodile lunged in anger, but missed its mark, letting the waterbuck escape.
A Narrow Escape, but at What Cost?
As the waterbuck hobbled away, it was clear that it had sustained an injury to one of its front legs throughout this ordeal. It couldn’t put any weight onto its front legs after escaping the crocodile and stayed perched awkwardly in the mud as if barely able to support itself.
Mike explained that his safari group stayed a bit longer to watch the other waterbucks investigate the commotion, but left the scene soon after all the action had ended. “We were excited to see the battle for survival but at the same time sad to see the waterbuck immobilized”.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Unfortunately for this waterbuck, injuries in the wild are often a death sentence. While it was lucky enough to escape a predator today, it likely won’t be as fortunate in the future.
This sighting is a testament to the incredible resilience of wild animals in a world where nature is raw, unpredictable, and often brutal. Mike recounted that one should always have their camera ready while on safari because action can take place at any moment!