Kudu, Impala, and Warthog team up to take revenge on a lion in an epic showdown photographed on camera in Kruger National Park
This is the intense moment when a group of unlikely prey takes a stand against a common threat: a lion!
Voel noticed the unusual gathering of animals near the open plains just east of Malelane Gate on the S25. The kudu, warthog, and impala were all standing under a marula tree; this, at first glance, seemed strange. “They seemed to be communicating, making small snorts and grunts continuously.”
After watching them for an hour or two, the three unlikely friends began walking off in the same direction. Voel decided that he should follow them; this was rare! After crossing a dry riverbed, the animals all began walking very slowly and looked like they were stalking! I looked ahead and saw that in the open, a lion was sleeping! This was going to end badly for one of them! Little did I know it was going to be the lion that was going to be in trouble!
As they approached the sleeping lion, they were focused. “It was clear they had reached a breaking point. They had been through enough suffering and loss. Having lost family and friends to this lion for weeks now, they were taking action!”
The kudu, warthog, and impala circled the sleeping lion. Then, in a blink of an eye, they all attacked! Horns and hooves hit the lion, and he woke up with a shock! Not knowing what to do, as soon as his eyes opened, he saw the animals that he normally eats all attacking him.
He opened his mouth and growled, trying to scare them off, but they stood their ground today! Despite the lion’s attempts to defend itself, it was overwhelmed by the force of the group that was standing together. “The tables had turned, and the hunter had become the hunted.”
The lion had no choice but to run away. It retreated to a safe distance, nursing its wounds, while the kudu, warthog, and impala stood victorious. “They were proud, and you could see it on their faces.” The lion sat in confusion some distance away, trying to understand what had happened, as it happened so quickly that he did not even have time to process it.
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