Privacy can be a hard thing to come across in the wild, where this crocodile clearly just wanted to relax in a little bit of water, only for it to get persistently bothered by various other animals.
Riaan Nysschens caught footage of the crocodile at the Mopani Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park as it found itself the object of curiosity for both a herd of buffalo, and more worryingly, a pack of wild dogs.
Having A Good Look
The herd of buffalo were surprisingly calm considering they were so close to such a dangerous predator. Although it was lying motionless, crocodile’s are capable of powerful bursts of speed when the situation calls for it.
There was clearly some kind of wariness, as one of the buffalo was keeping an eye on the surrounding area and spotted Riaan filming from behind the camera. After a small stare though the buffalo decided it was no danger and after a small hesitation lowered its head to drink.
Once they’d had the water they wanted, the buffalo herd began to move on. Rather comically at least one of the buffalo was about to drink from the water when it spotted the crocodile and quickly thought better of it.
Taking An Unnecessary Risk
As for the croc, it remained entirely unperturbed by the buffalo nearby. They even had calves with them, and with the buffalo unable to form their habitual defensive circle on the edge of the water, the calves would have been vulnerable to a sudden attack by the croc.
If the water was shallow enough, however, then at least one of the buffalo may have been willing to wade through it just to attack the crocodile with its large horns, so perhaps it was for the best that the crocodile remained very still until they had all gone on their way.
Attacking the herd would likely have been an unwise decision. The pool of water didn’t look particularly large, which meant that after the initial strike the crocodile would have been in a poor position to defend itself, or retreat if required.
A Different Kind Of Neighbour
While the buffalo were wary, but ultimately indifferent to the presence of the crocodile, the pack of wild dogs that also came across it were a little more curious about it.
Riaan’s “heart was pounding out of fear for the dogs but also excited about the rare sight” in front of them. If the crocodile hadn’t trusted in its ability to catch a large animal like a buffalo, then a much smaller wild dog might have made a more likely meal.
Unlike the buffalo, it didn’t seem that the wild dogs were going to get close enough to give the croc the opportunity to lunge. They kept a safe distance the entire time while they yapped and bothered the poor croc that was just minding its business.
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A Thorough Investigation
The wild dogs were much more curious than the buffalo had been, and they spent a lot more time looking inquisitively at the crocodile than the herd had done.
It’s likely that the buffalo had been very aware of their status as potential prey and had been keen to move on because of this, while the wild dogs were actually wondering if the crocodile was vulnerable enough for them to attack.
Ultimately, both moments appeared to pass without incident, as the crocodile was reluctant to move, and the other animals were unwilling to fully enter the water to reach it. It was just a tense and incredible sighting for Riaan.