In the fierce battle for survival, many animal species are willing to gamble their lives to gain an advantage.
Nile monitor competing for food with a hyena.
The Nile monitor is a relatively familiar species among reptile enthusiasts due to its beauty, yet it is extremely fierce and large. It is a large member of the Varanidae family, found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile River. This species is popular among reptile lovers for its swimming and climbing abilities, as well as its stunning appearance.
The Nile monitor has a muscular body, strong legs, and powerful jaws with very sharp teeth when young, which become blunt as they age. They are primarily solitary creatures, wandering and foraging alone, except during mating season.
This lizard species is characterized by its voracious appetite. In the wild, they consume a wide variety of prey including fish, eggs, insects, rodents, birds, and even other reptiles like snakes. Their gluttonous nature often leads the Nile monitor into troublesome battles over food.
Nicola Marneweck, a student at the University of Pretoria, stumbled upon a “struggle for survival” between two extremely greedy species in Africa during a field trip.
Source clip: Latest Sightings,
On that day, while driving and enjoying the beautiful sunset in the desert, the group of tourists suddenly spotted a zebra carcass lying motionless, showing no signs of a hunt.
Guessing that such a tasty morsel would attract something, Nicola invited her friends to return the next day to check it out. Predictably, a hyena appeared. By this time, the zebra carcass had “diminished” significantly, leaving only bones and a bit of remaining flesh.
In this windy and sandy land, the hyena remains a well-known scavenger. With its strength, resilience, and natural physique, there is no meal that a hyena cannot devour.
However, there’s no such thing as a free and easy meal. “Out of nowhere”, a Nile monitor boldly approached. To the astonishment of all witnesses (including the hyena), the monitor approached the hyena and began to display threatening behavior. Naturally, hyenas are not known for their generosity. Once it regained composure, the hyena started dragging the meat away to a different spot. Seeing its rival attempting to “snatch a bite”, the monitor decided to switch to Plan B: fight.
A humorous situation ensued, as the size difference prevented the monitor from biting the hyena, forcing it to use its tail to “slap” its opponent. As the hyena’s patience wore thin, it angrily dragged the meal far away, leaving the monitor with no choice but to give up.
