This sighting was filmed and sent to Latest Sightings by Roger Pedro. He witnessed the heart-rending incident at Gardenia Hide on the S119 in the Kruger National Park.
Watch the Sighting Here:
Popular Breakfast Spot
Roger told Latest Sightings that he was enjoying breakfast at the hide when the incident took place. Little did he realise that he was not the only one with breakfast on the mind.
He noticed a small Nile crocodile basking itself at the water’s edge.
Later, when a herd of impala arrived to drink, the croc slid into the water. Among them, he saw several lambs, just a few months old.
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After a few moments, the video cuts to a challenging sight. The crocodile had managed to ambush one of the lambs, which was struggling to free itself.
Roger said, “It was quite exciting! At first, watching the events unfold, I wanted the croc to make the kill…
He continued, “After a while, I began to gain sympathy for the poor buck and hoped that it could get away. It was so close at some points.”
Tiny Tug-of-war
In the tug-of-war that followed, the impala and the crocodile seemed to be evenly matched. However, as the impala had more to lose, it had some anxious moments.
In the image above, the impala had been pulled into the water, and it looked like the croc was about to drag it into deeper water.
However, the little impala was not giving up and fought valiantly to get itself back to shore.
Remarkable Stamina
Showing remarkable stamina, the lamb repeatedly tried to pull itself out of the water. However, the crocodile’s jaws were locked around its foot, making it all but impossible.
In the image below, we see that a chunk of flesh has been ripped out of the impala’s left hip.
Exhausted by the effort, the impala would collapse again, with only its head visible above the water.
Miraculously, the lamb again managed to get to its feet and pull its attacker toward the shore.
Time and again, the impala found purchase in the soft mud and just managed to get onto dry land.
However, no sooner had it done so than the crocodile would once again pull it back into the water.
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Taking A Toll
The battle was taking its toll on both creatures. Even with the impala lying in the water, the croc was too small and too tired to finish it off.
According to Roger, “After an incredibly long struggle, the crocodile lost its grip on the buck, and it seemed as if the crocodile gave up.”
Even though it was now free, the lamb was too weak to leave the water and lay resting, partially submerged.
Insult To Injury
With this, a new, if smaller, challenge emerged. Attracted by the scent of blood, two terrapins emerged and began nibbling at the wound on the lamb’s hip.
Unfortunately, Roger couldn’t wait any longer. Concluding his story, he said, “After returning the next morning to check up on events, there was no sign of the impala or any remains of evidence in sight, so one can only hope there was a happy ending.”
Even with an uncertain outcome, the video is an amazing, if challenging, display of the will to survive against brutal odds.