For many visitors to Africa’s game reserves, seeing a kill is high on the bucket list. For these visitors, the sighting was perfect, but for one factor.
Rogan Botha submitted this tense footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park.
Lion in long grass
As we join Rogan and his partner at the sighting, it is not immediately obvious what they’ve found. However, earlier they had spotted a lioness.
After following her, she slipped into a stand of tall grass, indicated by the red circle. Meanwhile, nearby, a herd of blue wildebeest was grazing, unaware of her presence.
Patience pays off
Realising that they might witness some action, Rogan patiently trained his camera on the place where he’d last seen the lioness.
Eventually, his patience paid off when the lioness suddenly burst into action. As ambush predators, lions must wait until their prey is within range before springing their trap.
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Surprise & speed but not endurance
Despite the tall grass, the lioness was soon running at full tilt. Lions can run at up to 85 km/h.
However, they are built for speed, not endurance. Accordingly, if she doesn’t catch the wildebeest within about 400 metres, she probably won’t succeed in the hunt.
Race for its life
Subsequently, we get our first glimpse of the wildebeest. Presumably, it heard the approaching lioness before it saw her.
Regardless, fearing for its life, the gnu fled. Capable of running at 80 km/h, the antelope was now in a race for its life.
Milliseconds later, the lioness followed. At this point, it looked like her patience, speed, and the element of surprise would work in her favour.
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View obscured
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Rogan and co. As the chase progressed, their view was further obscured by the long grass.
Nevertheless, they heard the moment of impact when the lioness caught her prey. We hear a strangled grunt from the gnu before hearing Rogan say she has got it.
Meanwhile, the rest of the wildebeest herd thunder into the distance. While one of their number is down, the rest of the herd is safe.
Lean but not hungry?
A few minutes later, the lioness re-emerged from the long grass. Evidently, she’d killed the wildebeest.
As you can see, she looks lean and muscular. Her sunken stomach suggests that she is in need of good meal.
The question is, why would she abandon her kill so soon? Rogan speculates that she was going to retrieve her cubs so that they too could join the coming feast.
Unfortunately, we don’t get to see if that is the case. Nonetheless, it is good to know that the cubs are in the care of such an accomplished hunter and selfless mother.
