To take down a much larger giraffe, a pride of lions coordinated to trip the prey, preventing it from escaping and gradually exhausting it.
(Video: Latest Sightings).
The scene of a pride of lions working together to hunt was captured by two visitors, Candice and Joel, in Kruger National Park, as reported by Latest Sightings on October 9th. As the couple turned onto the H2-2 sandy road heading towards the Pretoriuskop camp, they spotted a giraffe sprinting at high speed.
“I saw a giraffe about 100 meters away running at full speed. Then, I noticed something was chasing it,” Joel recounted. As they got closer, Candice and Joel realized it was being targeted by four lions. Just as the giraffe crossed the road, one lion leapt up and grabbed its leg. The other hunters quickly followed suit.
While the giraffe is large, it could not move swiftly with the pride of lions clinging to its legs. The lions understood that if they released their grip to climb onto its back, the giraffe would escape. Therefore, they focused on bringing the massive animal down.
The struggle continued for quite some time, as the giraffe desperately kicked its legs and tried to break free, but the lions kept exhausting it by clinging to its belly and legs. Eventually, the large prey collapsed right in front of the safari vehicle. The fall was so forceful that the giraffe’s neck bent, and its head struck the hard ground, Joel noted. The impact seemed to drain the giraffe’s strength, leaving it unable to fight back.
A pride of lions takes down a giraffe.
“One lion went straight for the giraffe’s neck and ended the struggle. At this point, many smaller lions began to appear. The lionesses were so exhausted that they rested in the shade, while the little lions started to feast,” Joel recounted.
African lions (Panthera leo) primarily inhabit the sub-Saharan region of Africa. They are the only social cats in the world and the second largest in the Felidae family, after tigers. Adult African lions weigh about 120 to 190 kg and have a body length of 1.4 to 2 meters, excluding the tail. Male lions protect the territory of the pride, while females are the primary hunters. Their prey includes antelopes, zebras, wildebeests, and various other animals.
