A tourist in South Africa’s Mkuze nature reserve had a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they filmed a male nyala antelope being stalked by a lioness. The antelope narrowly escaped the lioness by running into the water, where it faced the threat of hungry crocodiles lurking nearby.
Despite the danger, the antelope stood its ground and waited for the lioness to leave. However, it was caught off guard by a surprise crocodile attack while standing in the lake. The antelope managed to evade the crocodile and ran back to shore, where it faced off with the lioness in a desperate situation.
In an act of bravery, the antelope charged straight at the lioness with its long horns, which were up to 83 cm long. The lioness, feeling threatened by the antelope’s horns, eventually gave up and left.
Nyala antelopes are native to southern Africa and weigh between 55-140 kg. They are herbivores that are prey for lions, leopards, crocodiles, and other predators in the region. This remarkable encounter highlights how prey must navigate dangerous territories to survive in the animal kingdom.
The tourist’s footage has gone viral on social media platforms and has sparked discussions about wildlife conservation efforts in South Africa’s reserves. Many people have expressed their admiration for the bravery of the nyala antelope and called for more protection of wildlife habitats in order to preserve these unique interactions between predators and prey.