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This amazing display of one of the most perfect killing machines on the planet was captured by the twins Nicole and Alex Cromme in the Kruger National Park.
The two were with their family at the Gezantombi watering hole when they noticed a crocodile slip into the water that a herd of wildebeest were drinking from.
The twins said they “had a feeling that something was going to happen as [they] knew there was a hungry crocodile lurking in the muddy water.” They had a bit of a wait, but it definitely paid off for them as they got to see this incredible attack.
The Risk Of Visiting The Watering Hole
Many predators have a preference for ambushing their prey, as it helps them save energy by not engaging in a long or drawn out chase. Unfortunately for prey animals, the watering hole is one of the best places for these ambushes to be staged.
All animals will have to come and drink eventually, meaning a good meal is never too far away. That’s something this crocodile managed to capitalize on expertly.
According to Nicole and Alex Cromme, the “wildebeest were all very skittish and approached the water numerous times”. They must have known that there was something hungry lurking in the depths.
Crocodiles are uncommonly good ambush hunters, being able to blend in seamlessly with their surroundings and be so still that they’re nearly impossible to detect.
Dangerous Things In The Water
This one managed to seize the leg of the wildebeest in its jaws, and once a crocodile has clamped down on its prey, it’s very difficult to make it let go.
It wasn’t strong enough to completely overpower this wildebeest, though, as the bigger land animal was able to drag it around the whole watering hole as it tried to work itself loose.
Eventually, it even managed to drag itself and its unlucky predator all the way back to the bank where it was initially attacked, and for a few short moments, it looked like the wildebeest might actually have been about to escape.
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The Illusion Of Safety
Any chance the wildebeest had of making it safely back to dry land was a cruel impossibility, however. By the time it managed to drag the first crocodile all the way back there, its leg would have been seriously damaged, and it didn’t know about the second crocodile heading its way.
The first crocodile’s ambush attempt had failed, but the second couldn’t have failed if it had tried. With the wildebeest already injured and weak, it didn’t need to use ambush tactics and it approached boldly on the surface.
This crocodile was considerably bigger than the first, and this time the poor wildebeest didn’t stand a chance.
Nature’s Perfect Predator
Crocodiles are such a perfectly evolved predator that even now, as humans affect the environment and throw the survival of many species into doubt, they’re not considered a conservation concern.
For as long as there’s land animals coming to the water to drink, there’ll be crocodiles waiting in the water, ready to surge up and drag their prey back into the murky depths.