Watch the sighting here:
Katinka Steyn submitted a video and her account of this strange encounter. She witnessed it while visiting Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa.
Bushbuck sighting
Katinka said she and her family were looking for wildlife on the park’s Gallery Forest Road. When they spotted a male bushbuck, they stopped to take photos.
Steyn said, “It wasn’t long after we stopped when my daughter, Marika Botha, noticed the head of a snake!”
Then, as the snake moved into view, they realised it was a large Southern African rock python.
Waiting in anticipation
Katinka said they waited in anticipation as the snake slowly came down the tree. As it got closer to the ground, it became obvious it was heading towards the bushbuck.
In the image above, the snake is seen descending the large root on the right of the tree trunk.
Unaware of threat
As the snake got progressively closer to the bushbuck, the antelope seemed to be completely unaware of the approaching threat.
Moving very slowly, the massive snake slithered towards the antelope. Pythons typically ambush their prey, so to see one so brazenly approaching its intended target is rare.
Later, the antelope’s horns got slightly entangled in the bush separating it from the snake. This is the first time it sees the snake. However, it does not seem at all alarmed.
Tasting the air
Steyn reckons that the snake approached to within a metre (3 ft) of the bushbuck, which continued to feed unperturbed.
As they watched, the snake lifted its head and they could see its flickering tongue ‘tasting the air’
Subsequently, in the video, we see the bushbuck move a short distance away from the snake. It then begins to groom its flanks.
Often, this signals that an animal is unsure of something in its environment. This is known as a distraction behaviour.
Apparently still not feeling threatened, the antelope continued feeding.
Motionless
At this point, the snake remained motionless. Perhaps having realised how exposed it was, it decided the chance of a successful strike was low.
Comfort zone
Subsequently, as the ram continued feeding, we see that it circles the snake with more care — maintaining what is called a ‘comfort zone’.
This is the zone within which the prey feels safe from the threat. Should the predator enter the zone, the prey species will move to maintain the distance.
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Better luck next time
In due course, the bushbuck calmly walked away. With that, the python turned and headed back up the tree.
To Steyn, this was proof that the snake was after the bushbuck. Given how out of character this hunting tactic was, we can guess that it had been some time since the snake’s last meal.
Rock pythons
Although it is difficult to tell the size of the python in the video, we know that they average around 5 metres (16.4 ft). At that size, they weigh around 44 kilograms (97 lbs).
Pythons constrict their prey to cause asphyxiation. Large specimens can devour antelope, warthogs and even crocodiles.
By that measure, the snake might well have been able to consume the bushbuck.