Nhlanhla Nkuna, a guide in Balule Nature Reserve for Viva Safaris, witnessed this sad sighting. He shared his footage and story with LatestSightings.com.
“We found a huge male lion that was relaxing in the shade of some shrubs when something caught his attention. A steenbok! He jumped up, but before realizing what was happening, the little buck had disappeared into the bushes.”
The question was: why was the steenbok running? Was something chasing it? The lion, now still at attention, looked in the direction of where the steenbok had come. That’s when he saw a pack of wild dogs running at full speed; they had been chasing the steenbok and were completely unaware of the danger next to right next to them, which was now well hidden in the bushes.
“As soon as the first dog came around the bush, the lion pounced. He caught the wild dog off guard and grabbed it by the throat. The wild dog let out a squeal and a whimper. He was caught, and there was no way he could do anything about it. He desperately tried to escape by kicking but it was too late.”
“The other two members of the pack came rushing in as soon as they heard the screams. They realized that one of their members had been caught, and if they stood any chance of getting him back, they would need to intimidate the lion. There was no way they would win a physical battle, so the two dogs began barking and growling at the lion.”
“The huge male, who knew that the dogs could not harm him, just kept his grip firm on the wild dog’s throat. At that point, the wild dog gave his last kick, and a small whimper of its last breath came out, and his life came to an end. The other dogs, clearly defeated, just stood and watched on.”
Lions will take any opportunity to kill potential competition for food. Anything from leopards to hyenas, wild dogs, and even cheetahs is fair game. The less competition there is, the more prey the lions have for themselves. As sad as it is, it is the harsh reality of the wild that these animals call home.
