This was the unthinkable moment a pride of lions did not hesitate to attack a massive crocodile who was minding its own business on land!
Male lion spots his victim
Lions are known for their feisty and fierce nature, but to take on a crocodile is quite something. Of course, outnumbering a crocodile could be to their advantage, but still. A fully grown crocodile can reach up to 7 meters (22.9 feet) in length and weigh in at 1 ton (2204 pounds). As opposed to a fully grown lion which only weighs up to 270 kilograms (595 pounds).
Naturally, these two species are both incredible hunters and known for their amazing tactics when taking down prey. But crocodiles have an immense bite force and are capable of severely injuring a lion given the chance. These lions knew that ganging up on this poor reptile would definitely count in their favour.
Lion pulling crocodile by its leg
15-year-old student Connor Dawes and his family had the thrill of seeing this incredible sighting at Entabeni Game Reserve in the Waterberg. Connor shared this exciting story with LatestSightings.com:
That moment a pride of lions attack a crocodile walking on land
“We watched a male lion walk down the dirt road along a dam. The male lion met up with a few youngsters and they all continued walking along the road. They came to where the crocodile was basking in the sun. Suddenly the male lion attacked the crocodile.”
Lion attacking crocodile
“I was shocked that a lion would even think of taking on a crocodile. I wasn’t really worried for the crocodile – that was until the lion grabbed its back leg and pulled it away from the water. The rest of the pride joined in and continued provoking and attacking the crocodile.”
Crocodile outnumbered by lions
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“Eventually, the crocodile managed to escape and I was relieved that we wouldn’t see the lion kill the crocodile. The crocodile swam away and the lions moved off and lay down as if nothing had happened. I have never seen anything like this before. Even our game ranger said she had never seen or heard of anything like this happening.”
Crocodile retreats back into the water
“We saw the crocodile the next day swimming in the dam, and friends who visited two weeks later also confirmed that the crocodile was still doing alright.”
Nile Crocodile at Entabeni Game Reserve
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