The lions settled by the waterhole for a drink when they spied an impala, which had arrived for the same reason.
Watch The Sighting:
Some muddy, quick action followed. Roger Pedro was there to witness the full incident.
Lionesses Arrive At The Dam For A Drink
Water sustains life in the bushveld. This makes dams, rivers, and other waterholes a prime viewing spot, since animals frequent these areas to quench their thirst.
A pride of lionesses gathered at this waterhole, remaining alert to the happenings around them while they drank.
The banks were particularly muddy, and the water levels were relatively low.
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It seemed that they had other things in mind as they reclined by the waterhole. With their eyes surveying the landscape, they soon spotted a herd of impala on the other side.
Lioness Charges Across The Mud At Impala
One of the lionesses charged forward. Her legs and body were soon covered with mud, and no doubt, this was not the easiest chase she had made.
Yet, she persisted, running with skill through the mud towards an impala.
The impala had let its guard down to get a cool drink; however, when it saw the approaching lioness, it started to run. It too had mud on its legs.
Yet the mud didn’t seem to slow down the predator-prey confrontation.
The powerful encounter left the impala crashing to the ground, and the lioness was over it, with every muscle in her body flexed and alive with energy.
She quickly bit the impala’s throat, ending the struggle in a matter of seconds.
Pride Joins In For Feast
Then the other lionesses could be seen running across the mud, as muddied as their comrade. They closed in on the impala carcass and didn’t wait to begin their feast.
The entire ordeal happened very fast. Soon, the lionesses were dispersing; some of them with “takeaways.”
Lions are very much social animals, with the strength of the lion resting on the strength of the pride. Still, the first lioness managed to bring down the impala alone. She did this despite the slippery mud that threw off her traction.
Animals coming down to waterholes face numerous risks, and many are left vulnerable to predator attacks as they put their heads down to drink water, limiting their vision.
Game viewers are encouraged to sit by waterholes for a while, as often the game will come out of hiding, with all animals needing water to sustain life.
In this instance, the lionesses got more than just a drink of water. They also left the dam with their stomachs full. It didn’t matter so much to them that they were also covered with mud!