The bird’s eye view of this sighting captures just how massive this Nile crocodile is.
Watch The Sighting:
Nile crocodiles can grow up to six metres in length and can weigh over 1,000 kg. This one was clearly among the largest.
Wild Dogs Prepare To Feast On Impala
From this specific vantage point, looking over the Olifants Bridge, a pair of wild dogs could be seen dragging a recently killed impala across a riverbank.
Wild dogs rely on stamina and teamwork for hunting. Their hunts often involve long-distance chases, where they wear down their prey.
Once they catch their prey, the pack begins tearing it apart and consumes nearly everything, leaving little behind. They can strip a carcass clean in minutes, especially with a large pack.
These wild dogs were dragging the prey with the intent of beginning a feast, without realising that within the nearby waters lay an ominous presence.
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Watching from the river, a Nile crocodile sensed fresh meat and considered stealing the meal. While crocodiles spend much of their time in water, they go on land and can demonstrate surprising speed.
They can swim at up to 35 km/h, but they can also run on land in short bursts of 11 to 14 km/h!
Mammoth Crocodile Emerges In Full View
This crocodile didn’t hesitate to leave the cover of the river in its efforts to steal from the wild dogs.
It presented an impressive sight, and from a distance, it was a colossal figure in comparison to the wild dogs.
It went straight up to the impala, and with the dogs scattering, snatched the carcass up into its jaws. Nile crocodiles have one of the strongest bite forces of any animal. Their bite is over 5,000 PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch), enough to crush bone.
Wild Dogs Watch Croc Snatch Impala Without Retaliating
The wild dogs watched on as the crocodile took the impala carcass. It was daylight robbery, but they weren’t about to put up a fight.
The intimidating croc was a mean opponent, and they sensed it was against their best interests trying to steal back the fresh kill.
The crocodile turned around and headed back into the water. It slithered along, leaving a terrifying trail in the sand of the riverbank.
The impala and crocodile soon entered the river. The waters were only slightly disturbed as the crocodile smoothly glided into its depths. It commanded respect with its size and presence, and the wild dogs certainly gave it the respect it deserved.
They stood to attention as croc and impala disappeared beneath the surface. The sobering reality that their meal had become a crocodile’s take-away meal left them still and silent.
The video presented a magnificent view of the sheer size and command of power of the Nile crocodile. A pack of wild dogs could not outwit or outpower the croc. Or if they could, they didn’t dare to.