This lioness ran out into the road in hot pursuit of the zebra.
It was a momentary tussle before the zebra was brought to the ground.
Lioness succeeds in bringing zebra to the ground
Some wrestling ensued in the dust of the sandy road, and the lioness arose, zebra in her control, a victor.
Lionesses are the primary hunters in a pride and zebras are among the animals they regularly target as prey.
Zebras are fast, powerful, and can kick hard, so hunting them requires strategy, and stealth. Usually, pulling a zebra to the ground requires teamwork. This lioness aced the task on her own.
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Triumphant, she returns to the bushveld for cover
She was aware of the car and the motorists, which had enjoyed a front row seat of her hunting victory. For this reason, she seemed reluctant to stay on the sand road with her kill.
She might’ve caught the prey in full view of others, but she planned on enjoying a private feast, away from the prying eyes of motorists.
With the leopard in her jaws, she retreated off the road and disappeared from view. A lioness usually weighs around 120 to 180kg, and a zebra, around 220 to 350kg. This lioness’ triumphant kill was a magnanimous feat, considering the size of her prey and the strength she needed to successfully capture the prey and subsequently drag it off into the bushveld.
Pride members celebrate kill with lioness
As she disappeared into the thick of the bushveld, it became evident that she was not alone. It seemed the rest of the pride had been hidden from view by the trees in the area.
She carried the zebra kill to them, and they crowded around the carcass. A zebra is a fairly large animal, however, a full pride of lions is able to consume a zebra in one to two hours if undisturbed. If the pride is large, the zebra may be completely eaten in one sitting.
However, if food is plentiful or lions are not starving, they may feed more slowly, returning over a day or two.
‘In the right place, at the right time’
Through the thicket, the lioness and the rest of her pride could be seen. However, had one driven past them in a car at this moment, they probably would have gone unnoticed. They were so carefully camouflaged in the long grass and thick bushveld foliage.
It goes to show that when it comes to game viewing, timing really is everything. A minute later and the spectators might have missed the incredible moment.
They arrived just on time, and were given a front row seat of a breathtaking zebra kill.
Shortly after, a spotted hyena could be seen hanging around in the vicinity. Hyenas are opportunistic scavengers and will hang around for a free meal.
This one, however, wasn’t going to chance it. It kept its distance from the pride. Perhaps they would leave some leftovers and it would have its chance to be a part of the magic.