This one-of-a-kind sighting was captured by 30-year-old safari guide, Reggi Barreto, while on safari with a private guest near the Sand River in the MalaMala Private Game Reserve, Greater Kruger Park.
Lions make kill and stop for a drink
Reggi said they had heard about a few lions on a young zebra foal catch and he and his guests had decided to follow up in the afternoon to see if they were still visible.
“I knew the lions would look for water to drink and we positioned ourselves in the perfect spot with the sunlight in our favour, ready for the sighting,” he said.
It seemed that Reggi and his fellow travelers had found the perfect spot. Soon after the lions approached the water for a drink.
The large male lion reclined to drink from the waterhole. It was quite at ease satisfying its thirst, until a small shadow appeared in the water just ahead.
Unexpected surprise appears in the water
Reggi said they didn’t expect what happened next…
A tiny creature made its way just beneath the water’s surface right up to the lion. It reared its head above the surface, to reveal that it was a terrapin, a breed of turtle. Reggi said he was pleasantly surprised when the terrapin swam towards the male and then the lioness.
When the lion continued to drink, trying to ignore the little fellow, the terrapin came even closer. Its behaviour was even aggressive and while the lion was substantially larger than it, it wasn’t about to back down.
The terrapin climbed out of the water, sitting right next to the lion. If it was afraid, it showed no signs of fear.
It moved around on the sandy banks of the river, edging towards the lion’s whiskers.
At one point, the little creature lifted its gaze and lion and turtle locked eyes in an incredible David vs Goliath moment. It seemed the terrapin won as the lion backed off.
Terrapin approaches lioness with bravado
Dynamite comes in small packages and this little guy was definitely dynamite. It wasn’t just the male lion he chose to confront. A lioness was drinking nearby, and the terrapin approached her too.
He lurked in the water, awaiting the perfect moment to get up close and personal with the majestic drinking predator. She seemed just as curious as the male lion. Who was this little creature who so brazenly approached a pride of lions?
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
However, on further inspection, it appeared the terrapin was not so much intent on chasing the lions away, as getting a share of the zebra’s blood from their chins.
“It seems as though the terrapin was actually more interested in getting some of that blood, as opposed to ‘chasing the lions away’,” explained Reggi.
He is adamant that this special sighting would not have been possible or understood had he not determined to understand the behaviour of the animals involved. “It requires plenty of patience searching for animals and spending time with them to see how the sighting will pan out!” he said.