Johan van Zyl sent this video to Latest Sightings. He filmed the incident while on a game drive in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
On the hunt
Setting the scene for the showdown, Johan explained, “We followed a pack of African wild dogs late in the afternoon as they went on a hunt.
“The pack split up to flush some game from the thickets. We came across one individual wild dog that cornered a male impala”
As can be seen above, the pair faced off on a game trail, with the surrounding grass creating a flimsy corridor protecting the antelope’s flanks.
Struggles of a solo hunter
African wild dogs normally hunt in packs. But in this situation, alone, the dog would struggle to outflank the impala.
Next, both animals lowered their heads, with the impala warning off the dog with its sharp horns.
At a loss
At first, the dog seemed to be at a loss. Without the benefit of its pack mates and wanting to avoid injury, it had to find a way past the ram’s horns.
For its part, the impala seemed to be aware of this. Consequently, when the dog moved to one side, all the ram had to do was turn to face it.
Stalemate
In desperation, the dog moved back and forth and from side to side, trying to outmanoeuvre the wily impala. Keeping its cool, all the impala had to do was keep turning on the spot.
Consequently, the ram initially had the upper hand, as it was using less energy. No matter what the increasingly frustrated dog did, the impala easily countered its efforts.
In the image above, you can see part of Johan’s vehicle’s dashboard, giving us an indication of just how close he was to the action.
Something’s got to give
As long as the impala kept turning to face its aggressor, it would be safe. However, the situation could not go on indefinitely.
Sooner or later, either predator or prey would have to take the initiative to end the deadlock.
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Weighing their options
At one point, the dog moved off a few metres. At this point, both the dog and the ram appeared to be weighing their options.
It would seem that the impala, having successfully fended off the dog, was feeling confident. While the impala could probably outrun the dog in a flat-out sprint, would it have the stamina to make good its escape?
Fatal decision
As it happened, the ram fancied its chances. Seeing a narrow gap past Johan’s vehicle, it took off with the dog hot on its heels.
However, this proved to be a fatal decision, according to Johan, “Eventually, the male impala decided to make a run for it and was eventually taken down by the wild dog.”
With the dog finally able to get at the impala’s vulnerable hindquarters, the impala had lost the advantage of using its horns for protection.
Of course, it couldn’t have stayed there indefinitely. Had the dog not given up, it would have been just a matter of time before the rest of the wild dogs arrived to help their compatriot.