Contributor Graeme filmed the action and sent his video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it at Sweni Waterhole, near Satara Camp in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Longing for a drink
Graeme said that after hearing that a famous white lion had been spotted, he made his way in that direction feeling cautiously optimistic.
As he got closer to the location, his excitement grew when he spotted the lion, known as Casper, lying near the drinking trough.
Nearby, a giraffe bull was waiting for the lion to leave so he could drink.
Obviously very thirsty, the giraffe approached the water. And, as it did, Casper got up, leading to a stand-off between predator and (potential) prey.
Most vulnerable
Due to the contortions required to drink, giraffes are most vulnerable at this time. It therefore came as a surprise when the bull began positioning itself to do so.
On seeing this, one of Casper’s brothers approached, aware that the giraffe’s compromised position improved their chances of a successful hunt. At this, the giraffe stood upright once more.
Come what may
However, the giraffe seemed determined to drink come what may. So, it once again began the process of lowering its head to the water.
This is just what the lions had been waiting for, and they immediately accelerated towards the giraffe just as its lips touched the cool water.
Thwarted, the giraffe raised its head quickly and ran from the lions.
Half-hearted pursuit
Surprisingly, the lions’ pursuit was half-hearted, at best. After chasing the giraffe for about twenty metres, they gave up.
Adding to our dismay, no sooner had the lions stopped than the bull stopped too. Turning, it continued to keep a close eye on the three young brothers.
Two down
It seems that for Caspar and one of his siblings, they felt they’d given it their all and withdrew from the pursuit. However, the third lion still fancied his chances and once again charged at the giraffe.
Again, the chase lacked vigour with the lion quickly giving up. As if to save face, the big cat walked to a nearby tree to give it a good sniff. Was this a ruse to lure the giraffe into thinking it was safe?
Subsequently, the lion turned as if to return to his brothers.
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One last try
Seeing this, the giraffe started back towards the water, only for the lion to turn once more and launch another admittedly lame pursuit.
Subsequently, it seems both predator and prey seemed to accept that they were not going to get what they came for. The giraffe ran away from the area entirely, and the lion once again turned back towards its siblings.
By now, said Graeme, the heat was starting to build. As his video comes to an end, we see the brothers reunite under a tree: unfed but apparently unfazed.
Lacklustre lions
While the lions featured are in good condition, their bellies tell us they haven’t eaten recently. So, why was their attempted hunt so lacklustre?
Numerous factors could be in play.
Firstly, the lions don’t have the element of surprise. This would mean the giraffe is on the alert and ready to defend itself.
Secondly, the brothers are still quite young and might not have the confidence to hunt such big prey.
Thirdly, in broad daylight, according to Graeme it was getting very hot. Lions prefer to hunt in the cooler hours of darkness, where they expend less energy.
However, they are instinctively driven to try hunting, especially when the target moves away.
So, the lions found themselves at a tipping point, ultimately deciding that it was not worth the risk or effort to seriously go for the wizened old bull.