Tarryn Esterhuysen witnessed an epic encounter between a crash of white rhinos and a pride of lions in the Pilanesberg National Park.
Both species are members of the Big 5 of Africa and for good reason.
The term Big Five was originally coined by big-game hunters to describe the five most dangerous and difficult animals to hunt on foot. Lions earned their place because of their strength, speed and willingness to defend themselves fiercely when threatened, making them one of the most dangerous predators for hunters to encounter. White rhinos were included because of their immense size, unpredictable nature and ability to charge at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
What made the sighting all the more scintillating was that, in addition to the unlikely encounter between the two species, the lions were on a kill!
Rhinos make their way across grassy plain
The rhinos walked across a grassy plain in the reserve with a steady gait. They moved side by side, and presented a formidable front as they made their way to new grazing ground.
However, it just so happened that the pride of lionesses had settled down in the same grassy area, directly in the rhinos’ path.
A battle of wills
Tarryn explained: “The lions didn’t want to move too far from their kill and the rhinos didn’t want to veer away from their path.”
Oh dear!
Seeing the approaching rhinos, the lionesses lifted their gaze. One of them jumped to its paws and watched the rhinos were caution.
The rhinos lowered their heads as they approached. However, they refused to shift from their path. They weren’t about to let a few hungry lionesses dictate their steps.
While one of the lions moved out of the way, another continued to feed on the kill. The rhinos kept on moving forwards. This was a battle of determined wills!
The lioness growled at the approaching rhinos, bearing her teeth. However, this failed to have any impact on the colossal creatures.
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In most encounters on the African savanna, lions are the predators which other animals avoid. Yet white rhinos are among the few species which can confidently stand their ground, and sometimes even walk directly toward a pride of lionesses.
While this might appear reckless, it is usually a calculated display of confidence rather than aggression.
Rhinos succeed in intimidating lions
These rhinos eventually succeeded in intimidating the lions. However, there wasn’t any showdown, and the kill was left in tact.
The rhinos moved around to the other side of the lions and shoulder-to-shoulder, took a stance of dominance. Eventually all of the lionesses got up and moved away.
White rhinos are the second-largest land mammals on earth after elephants. Adult males can weigh between 1 800 and 2 500 kilograms, while females commonly weigh between 1 600 and 2 000 kilograms.
In contrast, an adult lioness weighs around 120 to 180 kilograms. This enormous size difference means that healthy adult rhinos have very little to fear from lions.
View more of the Big 5
It is always special witnessing Africa’s Big 5. These are lions, rhinos, leopards, buffalo and elephants. We’ll update you with further epic sightings with our WhatsApp sightings group. Click here to join.