After wrestling a warthog from its burrow, a male lion started eating before it was dead. Nature can be brutal.
Roan Du Plessis submitted this footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed it in South Africa’s Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.
Pulled from its burrow
As Roan’s video rolls, we hear the high-pitched squealing of a warthog in distress. As he manoeuvres his safari vehicle closer, we see a male lion wrestling with the warthog on top of a termite mound.
Warthogs frequently make burrows in disused termitaria, so it is safe to assume the lion has dug it out.
By the scruff of its neck
As the battle comes into view, we see that the lion has the warthog by the scruff of its neck, hence the loud squealing. Ideally, predators clamp their jaws on the throat of their prey, thereby reducing noise while their victim asphyxiates.
However, for this male lion, such niceties don’t seem to be a priority. Instead, he relies on his brute strength to subdue the 120 kg+ boar.
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Outmuscled and outgunned
Male lions weigh more than 200 kg, and this lion uses a combination of weight and strength to pin down the warthog.
Meanwhile, his 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) claws and 2.5 to 3 inches (6 to 7.5 cm) fangs prevent it from escaping its ordeal.
Unconcerned about scavengers
As we get closer, we see that the lion has released the pig’s neck and is now holding it by the skin under its foreleg. Still, the pig squeals for all it is worth.
While many predators might be worried about attracting scavengers’ attention, this is clearly not something the lion is concerned about.
Survival, not emotion
It is also plainly apparent that he has no mercy for his prey. Although the warthog is still very much alive, the lion starts ripping at its chest.
This, too, is not unusual. After all, they are driven by survival, not emotions as we know them.
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Massive appetite
Although the warthog is a large specimen, its body will yield roughly 30 kg of meat. For a male lion, this constitutes a large appetiser.
When they kill larger prey, like buffalo and giraffe, males can consume 40 kg in a sitting. Then, after sleeping it off, they’ll do the same until it is finished.
Still fighting
Amazingly, despite a gaping wound in its chest, the warthog is still alive. When the lion relaxes its grip, the boar still tries to escape.
However, the lion easily restrains it before resuming his grisly meal. Let’s just say the sound of the lion crunching through skin, flesh, and bone only adds to the macabre spectacle.
As Roan’s video draws to its end, the pig’s squeals fade before a rasping exhalation signals it is all over.