Tourists were delighted to witness lions hunting. However, when it came to a critical moment, their view was blocked.
This footage was filmed on Kgama Drive, in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park.
Watch the video here:
Straight into the action
In this video, the viewer barely has time to take a breath before the action begins. No sooner has the video begun than a lioness storms into view.
Already, she is in full stride. Lions are able to reach speeds of up to 80 km/h for distances of about 400 metres.
Slightly ahead of her, a cloud of dust tells us that she is not far behind her quarry, although, at this stage, we don’t know what she is chasing.
Target identified
However, we don’t have to wait long to find out that she is chasing blue wildebeest. Wildebeest can match lions for speed, so the race for survival is well and truly on.
Hoping to evade capture, the wildebeest change direction often, forcing the lioness to dig her claws in as she adjusts her path.
Closing in fast
Perhaps because she had the element of surprise on her side, the lioness can catch up to the fleeing wildebeest quite quickly. But will her stamina be able to match that of her intended prey?
If either species puts a foot wrong now, the hunt will be over. Either the wildebeest will die, or the lioness and her pride will go hungry.
A near certainty
Subsequently, as the chase goes on, the wildebeest leads the lioness in a wide arc. However, the big cat has better traction, allowing it to gain vital centimetres is her pursuit.
At this rate, it looks like the tourists watching are going to see the lion win the race. But if Nature has taught us anything, it is to never take anything for granted.
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Success. Sort of…
As the pair approaches a thicket, the lioness extends her paw, hoping to trip the wildebeest. If she is successful, she’ll be on it in a flash to kill it, either by asphyxiation or a bite to the spine.
Amazingly, her claw snags the wildebeest’s leg, causing it to tumble to the ground. However, to our disappointment, this happens just as they disappear behind the thicket.
Consequently, the moment everyone had been waiting for was hidden from view. While the lioness was probably happy with the result, for the throng of tourists, it must have been an anticlimax.
That said, they’ve been extremely fortunate to see a sequence of action that the vast majority of visitors never get to see.
Indeed, for some, it might have been a blessing in disguise. Watching a living creature die slowly can be extremely distressing.
Eager to join
As the video nears completion, the camera pans to the opposite side of the road. There, we see a second lioness.
She, too, has been watching the action unfold. However, with her path semi-blocked by the row of vehicles, she circles behind them, on her way to join the feast that awaits.
If you look closely, you’ll see two more lions approaching from the background. What a treat!