Louis Le Roux witnessed the hyena’s narrow escape from the clutches of a pride of lions. He sent his footage to Latest Sightings, which was filmed at Gharagab Camp, Kgalagadi National Park.
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A Long Night
Louis told Latest Sightings that after a long drive to the camp, an uneasy feeling interrupted his good sleep. After hearing lions calling at 3:30 AM, he was again disturbed at 5:00 AM and got up to investigate.
In the half-light, he couldn’t see much. Moments later, he saw movement and realised six lions were just metres from his hut, focused on the nearby waterhole.
Lone Hyena
Some time later, his wife alerted him to an approaching brown hyena. The lions also saw it and came down from a nearby dune.
Once in position, their ambush was set.
Meanwhile, the hyena continued its approach, totally oblivious of the danger ahead.
Classic Ambush Position
With minimal cover, the lions spread themselves several metres apart in a crescent formation. Only their tawny hides hid them as they flattened themselves against the Kgalagadi sands.
Despite their excellent night vision, the brown hyena failed to spot the lions, proving the cats’ stealth and camouflage.
Game Trail
Using an existing game trail, the hyena continued its approach. Lying directly ahead of it, one of the lionesses lay motionless.
Fight Or Flight
But then, as it passed a small stand of acacia shrubs, something alerted the hyena to danger. In survival, the fight or flight instinct can mean the difference between life and death.
In this case, the hyena chose flight, promptly turning tail and running for its life. Equally quick to react, the lions took off in pursuit.
Speed VS Stamina
Lions can attain a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), but only for short distances. Meanwhile, brown hyenas can run up to 64 km/h (40 mph). So on paper, it seemed like the hyena was in big trouble.
In no time, one of the lions was right at its heels, narrowly missing an opportunity to trip up the fleeing scavenger. Cleverly, the more manoeuvrable hyena ran a zigzag line, negating the lion’s speed advantage.
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As the chase continued, the hyena’s superior stamina won the day.
Despite a concerted effort by all six lions to run it down, after a hundred metres or so, the gap between the hunter and the hunted widened.
Outrun
While the lions lagged with every stride, there was no slowing down, never mind stopping, for the hyena. One by one, the lions dropped out of the chase.
After a few hundred more metres, all six lions had given up. As for the hyena, probably still in shock, it kept running until Louis lost sight of it, disappearing into the dunes.
Gratitude
For Louis, witnessing the incident was a timely reminder. He said, “I have realised that any safari in Africa is a bucket list for millions of people, and this fact made me understand what a privilege it is to be a true African.”
“Getting into our 4×4 and towing our off-road caravan in any direction we choose, with the benefit of nature right on our doorstep, is an amazing blessing.”