It was a very, very bad day for this kudu which found itself the target of two hungry hyenas. The footage of the attack which took place in the Kruger National Park was sent in by Stephan Greyvenstein.
It shows that hyenas, which are famous for scavenging, can bring just as much ferocity to the table as larger predators when it’s time for them to secure a meal.
Watch Now:
Just like African wild dogs, hyena hunts can be especially brutal as they begin their meal before killing their prey, and in this footage, the grievous wounds on the kudu are evident from the very beginning.
A Fortunate Find
Whether or not the hole in the kudu’s side was a result of fighting these two hyenas, or there was something else out there which had already tried to eat the kudu is unknown.
Stephan told Latest Sightings that they “don’t know how it got injured”, but shortly after sighting it they “spotted 2 hyenas” which quickly “saw the kudu”.
It’s possible the hyenas were hunting the kudu throughout the day, and trailed it as it tried to escape. But it’s equally likely that they’d heard the sounds of confrontation between the kudu and another predator, and followed the sounds to see if they might get an easy meal.
A Brutal Battle
Ultimately, whatever caused the gruesome wound in the kudu’s side was irrelevant. Its injury made it difficult for it to fight back against the two hyenas as they attacked repeatedly from the sides and back.
Hyenas typically attack from these angles as it keeps them safe from any defensive weapons their prey might have, such as this kudu’s large horns, but also because they need to consume their meal quickly.
Attacking through the hind quarters gives the hyenas the fastest route to their prey’s nutritious internal organs, but it makes for a bloody sighting as they start tearing their prey apart while it’s still struggling for life.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
One Last Defensive Surge
The kudu must know that its chances of survival are slim, but that doesn’t stop it fighting. Attacking from the rear means that the hyenas can avoid it’s sharp horns, but those aren’t the kudu’s only weapons.
As the hungry predators leapt repeatedly at the kudu’s back, it kicked out with its powerful back legs. One blow from these could cause serious damage to the much smaller hyenas, but the kudu had to land one first.
It took time and energy to buck the hyenas off each time they attacked, and the kudu was running out of both. Each time it threw one of the predators off, the other was ready to replace it.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
It put up a long and desperate fight, but eventually the kudu fells and lay still, unable to fight back as the hyenas tore it apart. Through a combination of luck and teamwork the hyenas had secured themselves an enormous meal.
There was plenty of meat for the both of them, but they’d need to enjoy it quickly, in case there were any other predators in the area that heard the fight, and came looking for a meal of their own.