Watch the Sighting:
Daniel Tjärnén captured this disturbing footage while on safari in Etosha National Park, Namibia. His safari group had decided to visit a waterhole in hopes of spotting some predators, but the sighting they got instead was far more dramatic!
A Shocking Scene At The Waterhole
As they arrived on location, they spotted a dazzle of zebras hanging around the waterhole. Then, all of a sudden, Daniel noticed something disturbing happening among the zebras.
A male zebra was attacking one of the small foals!
It managed to chase the young one into the water and pinned it down so that most of its weight held the foal in a headlock. The apparent mother stood nearby, very distraught.
Daniel started to film just as the male began to yank on the foal’s leg, it became obvious that this male intended to kill the poor foal! In an intense few moments, the mother quickly tried to intervene, and the distracted male shifted his focus, giving the foal a chance to slip free.
Violence From Within
Next, the foal made a desperate dash through the water as the male gave chase. When they both made it to land, the mother galloped at the male, who was chasing and biting the foal.
The male retaliated by slamming his full weight into the mother, but she was very resistant! Everyone in Daniel’s vehicle gasped and cried at the harsh reality of the situation, nobody could believe that a zebra could be this cruel!
Daniel was equally shocked, but then seemed to understand the situation. “First, it was a bit shocking, but then I thought – it’s the way of nature”.
Finally, after a long battle back and forth between the male, the mother, and the foal, all three disappeared behind the bushes where nobody could see the outcome of the situation.
Harems, Hierarchies, And Harsh Realities
In zebra society, one dominant male (the stallion) controls a harem of females. Rival males will form groups of bachelors and wait for an opportunity to steal another male’s harem.
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If the new males are successful in overthrowing power, they will assert their dominance, which can prove fatal to the young sired by the previous male. The practice of killing offspring that aren’t theirs is called infanticide and occurs in many species throughout the animal kingdom.
The logic is that the strongest genes in the group are passed on, and sometimes this can even translate into a pregnant female aborting her fetus through the release of hormones.
An Unforgettable Lesson
Though the foal escaped into the trees, its fate remained uncertain. Whether it survived, was killed by the male, or later fell to predators due to injury, it was clear that dominance in the wild comes at the cost of the vulnerable.
This sighting teaches us that nature’s cruelty is often nature’s way of ensuring the fittest thrive. Even the cutest animals have a savage side when survival is at stake.