Watch the sighting here:
Sune Eloff filmed this gory incident and sent her record to Latest Sightings. She filmed it on the Gomondwane Loop, near Lower Sabie in Kruger National Park.
Hidden in the long grass
As Sune’s video begins, a spotted hyena is seen wrestling an impala ram to the ground. As the antelope sank into the long grass, it was safe to assume that death was imminent.
Spot the leopard
Suddenly, Sune spotted a leopard nearby. See if you can spot it in the image above.
The leopard, a youngster, was curious yet cautious and kept a safe distance while the hyena continued feeding.
Spared the gory details?
With the impala obscured from view, the hyena continued to pull off chunks of flesh. As such, the viewer is spared much of the gruesome spectacle. At least, to begin with…
It therefore came as a shock to Sune and her companion, when the impala’s head rose out of the grass. It was still very much alive!
Undeterred
Brutally unfazed that its meal was still alive, the hyena continued to tear flesh from its lower abdomen.
You’d be forgiven for hoping the impala had finally, mercifully, died…
Lazarus moment
However, not only was the impala still alive, it was able to get to its feet. As if rising from the dead it rose… and still, the hyena went on feeding.
Subsequently, the impala’s torso came into view. And with it, the gory spectacle of its bowels hanging outside its body.
Still mobile
As if it weren’t enough that the severely injured ram could stand, it then proceeded to walk. The sight of its feeble attempt to escape is nothing short of horrendous.
A sight made all the more horrific by the fact that, throughout, the hyena continued to bite chunks of flesh from its innards.
Small mercy
Unsurprisingly, the impala didn’t get far. After walking a few metres, the hyena pulled it down again. Its injuries once again obscured, we can only hope it died soon after.
Sated
Meanwhile, the leopard continued to watch, knowing it’s time to feed would come.
Eventually, the hyena had eaten its fill. Its patience rewarded, the leopard then moved in to finish off the remains.
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“Surviving” extreme trauma
It seems almost inconceivable that, given the extensive nature of its injuries, the impala was able to stand up, much less walk.
We often hear that animals go into shock when they are captured, injured, and even eaten alive. With this comes the suggestion that they feel no pain. Sadly, the reality is there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim.
What shock will do, is cause the body to attempt to preserve vital organs by reducing blood flow and energy consumption.
However, in humans, the pain of severe injuries is often only evident after adrenalin and endorphin levels have normalised. Theoretically, these chemicals suppress pain, allowing us to focus on survival.
So, perhaps the same is true in animals.
Certainly, the prey animals’ adrenalin levels will skyrocket and this may go some way to explaining how the impala was still able to walk despite massive trauma.
It would be too easy to label the hyena as bloodthirsty or cruel. When pondering the natural world, however, it is best not to apply human values. Each and every organism has evolved to fulfill a particular function within an ecosystem, and has no concept of what we find acceptable.