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It was 15-year-old Connor Dawes who captured this clash of the titans while he visited Entabeni Game Reserve in the Waterberg with his family. Seeing two apex predators brawl in this way was definitely a sight to behold.
At first the lions seemed content to walk down the road alongside the water. Connor watched as the lead male lion met with other members of the pride and they all carried on along a dam.
This wasn’t going to be a peaceful sighting though, as Connor said, they “came to where the crocodile was basking in the sun. Suddenly the male lion attacked the crocodile.”
A Deadly Battle
Like other reptiles, crocodiles are cold-blooded meaning they rely on external heat sources to help control the temperature of their bodies. Due to the colder winter conditions, this one was moving slower than usual and didn’t react in time to the danger.
As they’re both apex predators, conflict between lions and crocodiles is rare. Crocodiles will hunt lion cubs, and those of all the big cats, but the adults are so agile that the reptiles tend to prefer easier prey to save their energy.
Lions will hunt smaller crocodiles, especially when they’re out of the water like this one was. Neither would hesitate to eat the other, but the qualities that make them top of the food chain also make them difficult to hunt.
Unfair Advantage
These lions had seen their opportunity and closed in. The crocodile was alone which gave the lions a significant advantage from the very beginning as they surrounded the reptile on all sides.
While not quite as ungainly as a fish out of water, crocodiles are still nowhere near as effective hunters on land. Their preferred method of attack is to propel themselves out of the water with their powerful tail to ambush their prey.
This one found the situation reversed as the lions made good use of their own ambushing tactics, and their nature as land hunters gave them yet another edge.
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Cruel Tactics
These lions had no doubt faced crocodiles before. The reptile knows it’s in a bad position and tried to make its way out of the circle of cats to get back to the water.
Not only would it be faster there and able to escape, it would be better able to fight back from the murky depths if the situation demanded it.
But the big cats weren’t prepared to let it escape so easily. Not only did they press their attack, the male even took hold of the crocodile’s leg to drag it away from the safety of the water.
The Great Escape
The crocodile had the onlookers worried at this point. Connor said he “wasn’t really worried for the crocodile – that was until the lion grabbed its back leg”.
Fortunately they didn’t see the lions victorious. Despite the best efforts of the big cats, the crocodile made it to the safety of the water and they broke off the attack.