Impalas Try Jumping Over 7 Lions
2,752,732
Published 2024-03-12
Send in your wildlife video here, and earn money: latestsightings.com/film-earn
Simeone Lategan from @leopardslairbushlodge and @antonlategan from @ecotrainingcaptured this incredible footage of the lions while on safari in Matusadona National Park, Lake Kariba. She shared her footage with LatestSightings.com.
“We had booked a houseboat on Lake Kariba to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. We were to spend an entire week on the boat, with the promise of sightings of wildlife from the comfort of our boat. Little did we know that the best of our sightings would take place on our very first morning.”
“Our first boat safari yielded buffaloes and elephants, and for us, that was already pretty amazing. But as we were heading back to the main boat, we noticed some movement and activity on Fothergill Island, which was about 500 meters away. It appeared to be lions from the distance, and as we got closer, it became clear! 22 lions hunting a massive herd of impala.”
“The lions were all split up and half surrounded the herd while the others sat in ambush close to the water's edge; this resulted in chaos. The herd began scattering and running in all directions. Some of the impala came within inches of being caught, while others managed to make a safe escape.”
“The lions waiting in ambush were so eager to catch an impala that they were trying to grab them in midair! Luckily for the impala, lions are not as agile as leopards, so catching their prey midair is not that easy. However, one unlucky impala chose the wrong escape path, and things ended very badly for him.”
“The lions seemed to, at this point, all lock into one impala, and their attention was focused. The impala thought that it could make a quick escape by running along the water's edge. It picked up speed and ran straight ahead, missing the first and second lions. But when it tried to dodge the third lion, it jumped, and so did the lion.”
“Before all four of its legs could leave the ground, it was down! And one by one, the lions came running in to have a piece of the meal. A small antelope for 22 lions doesn’t last very long, so they all knew they had to grab what they could while it was still there.”
“At this point, we just sat in awe of how lucky we were to have this sighting all to ourselves. Sitting on a boat a few meters from shore and watching 22 lions successfully hunt and eat an impala is not something everybody can say they have experienced.”
To license the footage:
[email protected]
Snapchat: LatestSightings
Twitter & Instagram: @LatestKruger
For live wildlife sightings in the Kruger National Park: www.latestsightings.com/
And like our Facebook page for great sightings and photos: www.facebook.com/latestsightingskruger
Subscribe to us on YouTube: youtube.com/LatestSightings
All Comments (21)
-
And all the people on the boat managed to keep their traps shut for a full minute. Congratulations, well done.
-
The impala at 0:08 is the most athletic living being ever. The timing, calculation, and agility were epic!
-
That impala split amongst all those lions is like a chicken wing appetizer
-
Impala fleeing from predators are truly a sight to behold. Their speed, grace, and athleticism are such a joy to watch. Thanks for the amazing footage!🤗
-
Impala are probably among the best jumpers in Africa. A impala that is fleeing can jump 10 meters horizontaly and 3 meters verticaly, meaning that catching one takes a lot of skill
-
It took the combined skills of 7 lions to take down that formidable impala.
-
In the beginning, I didn’t even know where to look with all those Impalas running in different directions. Amazing footage
-
Researchers in Asia has discovered a rare breed of impalas that can jump higher than your average 2 story house. This is due to their strong hind legs and the fact that your average 2 story house can't jump.
-
Lioness gave a slap to impla in the air was amazing 😏
-
That jump at 0:08 was pretty badass, ngl.
-
I love how the lion's yellow hide blends with the grass.
-
That was a slick move by that first Impala who got away.
-
The impalas were very impressive. I had to see it to believe it. And I believe it!
-
This was more fun than watching the Super Bowl.
-
Going on a leisure boat cruise, it'll be relaxing they said! 😄
-
Watching that lion swat down that impala was watching a NFL field goal block
-
Can we have that one escape in slow motion please? 😊
-
The bird chatter stopped right when one was caught.
-
I usually always root for predators but this time, my heart stopped when they catched that impala. I was hoping for it to make it to safety 😢
-
0:25 RIP
