The incredible sighting drew expressions of wonder from the occupants of the vehicle, who were taken by surprise when the action unexpectedly unfolded.
Large male lion attracts ‘paparazzi’ of viewers
A large male lion held the attention of a many viewers, who followed the majestic creature in their cars. Their focus was on the confident predator as he strolled quite regally down the road.
He didn’t seem to bothered by the presence of the many cars, even though they followed him like the paparazzi – no doubt wanting exclusive camera footage of the King of the Jungle.
Lion picks up pace
Still with cars behind him, the lion walked along; his focus on something in the distance. The cars had not been managed to even snatch a backwards glance from him.
Something within the vehicle can be heard saying, “There’s a kudu at the side of the road!”
A male kudu was indeed grazing just off the road. As one of the largest antelope, the male kudu stands about 160cm tall at the shoulder. The males are the only ones with horns. These can add 120cm of height to the kudu on average. The current record for the longest horn was 187.64cm. The male kudu can weigh anywhere in the region of 190 to 270kg.
With such a hearty potential meal on the horizon, it’s no wonder the buck had the lion’s full attention.
Lion breaks out into a full-on run
The stealthy predator soon broke into a full-out run, running towards the kudu; and closer to the vehicle where the moment was being captured, for later sharing on Latest Sightings.
However, for now, all eyes were on the lion, whose entire being was electric in the pursuit of the antelope.
He charged down the road, transfixed by the potential prey – and fully confident that he had what it took to bring it down.
Lion ambushes kudu
In a moment of memorable conquest, the lion thrust himself upon the kudu, grabbing at it by its hindlegs.
His moves were precise and by hanging onto the kudu’s hindlegs, the antelope stood very little chance of escaping. One of the ways a kudu might defend itself against an attack is by kicking out with its hindlegs. The lion’s grip on the kudu prevented it from kicking out in defence.
Expressions of awe could be heard from the vehicle as the kudu ran out into the road, literally right in front of the vehicle’s front window. This definitely was a front row seat, in full view of a five-star sighting!
With the kudu’s back legs immobilised, the lion extended its body more fully over the back of the kudu, bringing the animal down to the ground.
Both kudu and lion had by this stage fully crossed the road; and it seems the paparazzi had the images they had come for!
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Nonetheless, the male lion wasn’t too concerned. He had spotted the kudu, pursued the buck and even brought it to the ground in a victorious kill without for a moment being distracted.
While a kudu is a large antelope, lions can eat up to 40kg of meat (around a quarter of their body weight) in a single meal!