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A young spotted hyena’s life came to a premature end when it stumbled upon a large male lion. The unfortunate incident occurred occurred on the S1 Road, between Skukuza and Phabeni Gate.
The accompanying footage was sent to Latest Sightings by Tanisha Rach, who had spent the day viewing wildlife in the Kruger Park.
Behold, the king
As Tanisha recounts, she and her companions spotted the male lion en route to Phabeni Gate. Delighted, they decided to spend some time with the obviously confident male.
Before long, they saw something approaching in the distance from the opposite direction. The lion spotted it to and immediately crouched in the long grass alongside the road.
Ignorance of youth
As it approached, Tanisha realised that it was a young hyena walking along the road alone. In the video, we can see that the hyena is completely unaware of the lion’s presence.
A tough choice
Realising the imminent threat that the lion posed to the hyena, Tanisha made the correct choice in allowing Nature to take its course.
Consequently, with a heavy heart, she said that while, “Our initial impulse to intervene, we knew that interfering would disrupt the natural balance of the environment.”
Ambush set
The image below shows the lion crouched flat against the ground. Due to their large manes, male lions are more easily spotted by prey. However, in this case, despite minimal cover it remained hidden.
Patient predator
Realising it held the advantage entirely, the lion waited for its quarry to approach within a few metres of where it lay hidden.
For this reason, when it launched its attack, the outcome was all but inevitable.
As the lion burst from cover, the little hyena turned and ran in the opposite direction.
No chance
Consequently, given the short distance and the lion’s size, strength and speed advantage, the fleeing hyena really had no chance of escaping.
In seconds, the lion caught up to its prey as it made for the opposite side of the road.
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Small mercy
In any event, the lion tackled the hyena just as it approached the verge of the road before disappearing over the embankment. Consequently, for Tanisha and her friends, it was perhaps a small mercy that what happened next was hidden from view.
Inevitable outcome
Next, the video shows the lion carrying the body of the young hyena. Tanisha said she is sure death would have come quickly, which is a small comfort as we see its limp body in the lion’s jaws.
Discarded
Consequently, after carrying the carcass for a few metres, the lion dropped it at the roadside. For many, this would appear to be a waste of resources.
However, it is important to remember that Nature doesn’t play by the same rules we do (or should).
Killer instinct
Competition between lions and hyenas is as old as the plains on which they pitch their battles. Both species have evolved to become intelligent social predators, pitting them against one another.
We know a hyena would not hesitate to kill a lion cub if their roles were reversed. It happens more frequently than we’d like to think.
Infant mortality
According to statistics, up to 80% of lion cubs die before they are two years old. Hyena cubs fare somewhat better, with 48% dying in their first year.
Premature deaths occur for various reasons, including abandonment, disease, starvation and predation, as this video vividly illustrates.