Hungry wild dogs are a significant threat to any prey animals, given their high success rate when it comes to hunts. For this impala, though, its nightmare was about to come true.
By complete coincidence, the dogs managed to trap their prey at a water hole, and then it was just a matter of time, waiting for the best moment to decisively strike and secure a meal.
Aidan Rademeyer caught these animals making their deadly decisions on camera near the Naledi Game Lodge, and sent the footage in to Latest Sightings. It’s chilling to watch these wild dogs do what they do best.
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A Bad Time For A Drink
Water is essential for life, but getting a much-needed drink can be a risky business when there are dangerous predators in the area looking for a quick meal. If these thirsty animals aren’t wary, then they’ll have a quick end.
This impala found itself in one of the worst possible situations when a pack of wild dogs ambushed it at the waterhole. Not only was its life in very real and immediate danger, but even escape was out of reach.
As excellent long distance runners, the wild dogs truly had this unlucky impala caught in a deadly situation which seemed like it was going to guarantee them a good meal, just for being in the right place at the right time.
An Interesting Time For A Swim
With the dogs encircling the area and steadily working on boxing the impala in, it didn’t really have any options other than to leap into the water itself, and swim out into the middle.
While this decision might have bought a few more extra minutes of life for the impala, it had also guaranteed that the wild dogs would be able to capture it. The waterhole was small enough that the wild dogs could run around the circumference quicker than the impala could swim.
Every time the impala grew close to one bank, there were at least two dogs ready there waiting for it, and although the canines seemed unwilling to plunge into the water themselves, they didn’t need to.
Round And Around In Circles
Self-preservation wouldn’t allow the impala to swim into the waiting jaws of the dogs, and the predators weren’t willing to give up their speed advantage on land, which meant that this had quickly become a foregone conclusion.
At its deepest point, the water appeared to be too deep for the impala to stand, but there was clearly some kind of dirt bank beneath the surface that did allow it to push off and rapidly change its direction when it neared the edges of the water.
This forced the two animals into a stalemate, with the impala just moving in circles while the wild dogs followed and waited. Given enough time, their prey would be exhausted, and then they would finally be able to move in and claim it.
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A Grisly End
From the moment the impala entered the water, it took less than two minutes for the wild dogs to complete their hunt. After following the impala around the edge, one of the canines dived into the water and quickly ended the matter.
Just as quickly, the others descended to begin consuming the fresh carcass. Wild dogs continue to be incredibly dangerous, but despite their hunting successes, conflict with humans, and habitat loss, has contributed to them being considered endangered by the IUCN.