Gayle Erasmus submitted the accompanying photos and video clips to Latest Sightings. She filmed it on the low-level bridge near Lower Sabie Camp, in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Down by the river
Gayle told Latest Sightings that she had parked on the bridge just south of Lower Sabie, one of her favourite spots in the park. She had seen many amazing things there previously and was enjoying the tranquillity, when a splash got her attention.
Gayle followed the commotion and discovered a small Nile crocodile had caught an African rock python.
She said, “We couldn’t tell if it was the moment it caught the python or if the python was already dead, but the sighting was far from over.”
Having evolved to hunt in their aquatic habitat over millions of years, crocodiles generally target fish, birds and mammals. However, should a fellow reptilian venture into their domain, they are equally at risk of capture.
Bite-size chunks
Although the crocodile had caught the snake easily, eating it proved to be a challenge.
Crocodiles swallow small prey like fish whole, but break larger prey into smaller pieces before eating.
However, snakes are generally long and flexible by nature. This means that they are difficult for crocodiles to deal with.
Crocodile teeth grip and rip by design. Despite their crushing bite force, they’re not terribly efficient at cutting through snakes.
Not so simple to snap a snake
As a result, when the croc tried to sever the snake’s body, it had to perform a series of energetic movements.
But, no matter how much it thrashed about, the croc struggled to make any headway. The more it thrashed, the more the snake’s flexible body flopped about.
Getting a head
Eventually, the croc made some progress when it managed to remove the python’s head. After finally getting a taste, the croc still had its work cut out if it hoped to consume the rest.
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Shake, snap, repeat
This led to another round of wild thrashing. This time, holding the snake a bit further down its body, hoping to replicate its earlier success.
But, after swiping back and forth and left and right, all the crocodile succeeded in doing was to tire itself out. Consequently, it had to take a break.
Time and again, the frustrated croc would pick up the limp snake and attempt to tear it into smaller pieces. And, time and again, it failed to do so.
Gayle concluded her story by telling Latest Sightings, “The crocodile eventually moved into deeper water, concealed by reeds, and we lost sight of it. It was a mesmerising and truly unique sighting that left us in awe.”
Mega reptiles
When fully grown, the two reptiles featured in this article rank among the largest on the African continent.
Nile crocodiles can reach lengths of up to 6 metres (20 feet) and can weigh up to 1000 kilograms (2200 lbs).
Southern African rock pythons grow up to 4.6 m (15 ft), weighing up to 53.4 kg (118 lb).
While crocodiles probably account for more human fatalities than any other predator in Africa, few, if any, are killed, let alone injured by pythons.
