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Home Animals Moment Lizard Manages To Fend Off Lions And Cobra

Moment Lizard Manages To Fend Off Lions And Cobra

The expression ‘dynamite comes in small packages’ was especially true for a lizard which managed to fend off a cobra and two lionesses

Heather Djunga
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In an extraordinary sighting witnessed by Daniel Anthony a nature guide, working in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve at Chitwa Chitwa Lodge.

The small creature came face to face with a cobra and the lionesses and stood its ground, and from the behaviour of the lions, even earned their respect.

An unusual distraction for two lions

Lion sightings are a fairly common sight in game reserves around southern Africa. However, as Daniel explained, every sighting of the big cat is different from the next. This one, he said, was particularly special.

“As we came around a bend, to my surprise, a pride of lions appeared right in front of us and we had one of the best ‘walk-byes’ I have ever experienced.”

Daniel and the travelers with him watched the whole pride walk past them, but something distracted two of the lions. The viewers were intrigued when a cobra appeared in the road in clear view of the lions.

The cobra faced the lionesses head-on. It slithered across the road for a moment, and then back again, holding the predators’ full attention.

Its movements were mesmerising and the spectators perhaps wondered what would happen should the lions attack the cobra. A lion will attack a snake if it recognises it as a threat, or if the snake approaches it.

Cobra makes wise decision

The viewers’ full attention was held by the unusual spectacle of two lions inspecting a cobra. Daniel said they hadn’t realize that the cobra had been hunting a lizard who was hidden from view in the shrub on the roadside.

The cobra, a formidable opponent, had to make a choice, sacrifice a meal or possibly become a meal.

The snake chose to forego its meal – a wise choice. It dashed into the safety of the bush at the side of the sand road and disappeared from view.

A small reptile with a brave disposition

This was when the lizard was first spotted. The small animal was like a David before the two Goliath lions. Possibly the small group of spectators held their breath at this moment. A lizard versus two lionesses surely stood no chance?

However, the lizard, having just had a brush with death, stood quite unshaken in the road, as if it were challenging the mighty Kings of the Jungle.

The lionesses inspected the little creature. Who was this tiny animal which dared not run away and which was prepared to stand its ground, without flinching?

A happy ending for all

Daniel described the lionesses’ response to the lizard: “Faced with this bravado the lions treated this brave creature with what seemed like awe and respect, when in reality one swipe of a paw would have been the end of the little fellow. Thankfully discretion prevailed again and the lizard slipped gracefully away into the safety of the bush.”

The day could have ended very differently for all species. The lionesses could have attacked the snake, which could have eaten the lizard. However, in the end, all three species walked away unharmed. The lizard was definitely the luckiest of them all!

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