The action was heated up when a trumpeting elephant entered the scene. The lions, the elephant and the hippo each put on their most dramatic display of intimidation, and Tarryn Rae and Johan Theunissen managed to capture it all on video.
Lions approach waterhole for a drink
A pride of lions had settled by a waterhole for a drink of water.
The pride was comprised mostly of lionesses, which remained vigilant as they reclined besides the water.
When they spied a hippo walking out of the water, they saw this as the opportunity to attack.
The clip shows the lionesses chasing the hippo through the long grass and bushy terrain just off the riverbank.
The hippo moved surprisingly fast for such a large fellow. The entire pride was after him but he soon demonstrated that he was no pushover.
Hippo turns to show his massive teeth
He stopped to turn towards the lions, and standing his ground, opened his massive mouth to reveal an intimidating set of teeth.
One of his teeth was set at an angle, possibly as the result of a previous conflict. Still, his threatening stance accomplished its purpose.
Now it was the lionesses turn to run. The hippo had successfully turned the tables and ran after them a short distance before standing still.
Lionesses are skilled hunters and often work together to take down large prey, like buffalo or giraffe.
However, even for a group of lions, an adult hippo presents an exceptional challenge. Hippos are incredibly strong, with thick skin which is difficult to penetrate and jaws capable of inflicting fatal wounds.
This hippo wasn’t shy about opening his mouth wide to demonstrate the power in his jaws.
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If a hippo is healthy and aware, even several lionesses will usually hesitate to engage with it directly. The hippo’s aggression, combined with its ability to bite and charge, makes it a high-risk target.
Lionesses might circle, harass, or test for weaknesses, but a full attack is rare unless the hippo is injured, young, or isolated from water.
This hippo was close to the water, and once chasing the lionesses off a distance, it retreated into the water as refuge.
Elephant charges towards lions
This was when an elephant entered the scene. The colossal animal didn’t do so silently. Rather, he ran in, tail to alert, trunk held high… and making a loud trumpeting noise.
He charged straight towards the lions, as though defending the hippo, and they ran in the opposite direction.
Elephants do not deliberately protect hippos from lions, but their presence can indirectly benefit hippos, especially in areas where both species share space, like waterholes or riverbanks.
Elephants are dominant and territorial animals. When they arrive at a water source, they often displace other animals, including predators like lions.
Lions generally avoid elephants, as they pose a serious threat. A charging elephant can kill a lion with ease. Even a defensive display, such as this one, is enough to send lions scattering.
The pride of lions was shown a thing or two by two particularly large and territorial animals!