This thrilling video was filmed on the H7 near Orpen Camp in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Watch The Sighting
Thick Bush
At the beginning of the video, it’s hard to make out what’s happening at first. The camera is aimed into a thicket, and for a moment, we see the vague outline and lashing tail of a lion.
Blur Of Movement
There is a blur of movement, after which the camera pans wildly to the right. As it does, we see the blurred figure of a lion leaping into the air.
At this point, we are not sure why.
Kudu Bull
However, moments later, the question is answered when a mature kudu bull bursts out of the roadside vegetation.
Somehow, it manages to evade the lion’s outstretched paws. Having missed its target, the lion crashes to the ground.
Flight Path
Fleeing for its life, the antelope bolts towards the road just ahead of the tourist’s vehicle.
Once on the road, its flight path takes it directly past the front fender of the tourist vehicle, as the camera jerks to follow the action.
No Traction
Just as the kudu is about to pass from view, we notice the beginnings of what will be a fatal misstep. It seems that the kudu’s hind hooves lost traction on the smooth road surface.
With that, its hindquarters sag as its back legs slide out from beneath the antelope. At first, it is not clear where the lion is as the camera follows the kudu.
Not One But Two
But then, as the camera pans back towards the lion, we see that there is not one, but two male lions in pursuit.
Then, the camera moves around wildly as the lions pass the vehicle, one on either side. Finally, the camera settles, this time facing out the mud-flecked rear window of the tourist’s vehicle.
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By The Throat
Here, we see that one of the lions has managed to get hold of the kudu, while its companion looks on. The lion has the kudu by its throat.
With adrenaline still coursing through its system, the kudu attempts to get to its feet. However, it is no match for the strength of the lion, which has also wrapped its paws around the kudu’s neck.
As is often the case, the second lion doesn’t wait for the kudu to die. Instead, it starts ripping at the kudu’s belly.
Predators often start feeding in this area, as the hide is relatively thin, and once open, they can quickly get to the nutrient-rich organs.
Manmade Mishap
The road surface clearly played a role in the kudu’s downfall. Before it reached the road, it looked like the kudu had miraculously evaded the predators.
However, their hard, smooth hooves do not fare well on slippery surfaces. We see this time and again when antelopes run onto roads. They fare little better on the compacted surfaces of the park’s gravel tracks.
That said, without the roads, very few visitors would be able to visit the park and others like it. However, we need to bear in mind that road surfaces constitute a tiny fraction of the reserve. There are vast tracts where no roads exist whatsoever.
Simply put, they, like the other infrastructure crucial to the park’s management and functioning, are an unavoidable compromise in conservation.