Watch the moment an unsuspecting hyena walks right into 3 lions that ends up being the hyena’s last mistake it ever makes!
Marc Cronje, 29-year-old Bird and Nature Field Guide, never expected to see a brown hyena get caught by a lion, right in front of him. Marc conducts birding and wildlife tours for Nature Travel Africa and Nature Travel Birding across the world.
He shared this intense sighting with LatestSightings.com after he filmed it in the Grootkolk Wilderness Camp in the Kgalagadi National Park. In his own words, Marc told Latest Sightings about this experience:
“I was on a wildlife holiday with my brother and it was his first time ever visiting the park. We had not been on a drive at all and the sighting happened right in front of us at the camp’s waterhole, which was also right in front of our accommodation.”
“We heard lions roaring quite close to our safari tent in the night and saw them outside next to the tents just after midnight, so we knew they were in the area. We got up to get ready for a drive from the camp and then made coffee. I sat down to enjoy the early morning brew when my brother said: “Marc, please tell me that you’ve seen lions?” I stood up from my seat, while he was sitting on the stoep and when I returned I spotted three of the male lions sitting at the base of the bush watching the waterhole, while also keeping an eye on us!”
“It was incredibly exciting to have the males so close, what a view to enjoy a brew by? We watched them for a while and saw a brown hyena approach the waterhole from the opposite directions of where the lions were. Getting to see a brown hyena is already rare in itself, but to see one in daylight was mind-blowing. As a wildlife guide, I thought that the hyena would move off as soon as it saw the lions, but boy was I wrong!”
“The hyena kept approaching the waterhole for a drink, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the lions waiting for it. The lions, in turn, crouched down as they started getting ready to stalk and catch the hyena. With this, I rushed to get my camera, excited to be able to capture what would follow…”
WATCH:
“The hyena just reached the waterhole and spotted the lions, it suddenly turned around and started running away when the lions ran in pursuit, one male running directly towards the hyena. Unfortunately the hyena could not out-run its fate and was soon brought down by the lion. What made this even more memorable, was the fact that the hyena ran straight towards our tent, and by the time the lion brought it down, they were right in front of us – the only thing that separated us from them, was the 1 meter high, non-electric fence. This was absolutely amazing!”
