Even successful predators in the Kruger need to be wary of scavengers out in the wild. These kleptoparasites will willingly steal food right from the mouths of rivals that have been more successful.
Alberto, staying at Matimba Bush Lodge, caught this footage of hyenas ganging up on a successful lion as it tried to ignore them and enjoy a meal, and sent it in to Latest Sightings.
It quickly became apparent that this hyena clan was not going to let the lion enjoy its food in peace, as the situation grew increasingly tense. This is an amazing sighting that shows the pressure that these predators can be under.
Under Surveillance
At first it looked like there was only one hyena keeping the huge feline under close observation. It was shuffling on its feet as if it wanted to come closer, but it appeared to be unwilling to disturb the lion which was feeding on an unknown animal.
Alone, the hyena posed little risk to the lion which was bigger and stronger in almost every way. As more hyenas began to appear, however, it quickly became apparent that the lion was in a particularly dangerous position.
It was surrounded by an entire clan of hyenas, all of which would have liked nothing more than to steal the meal from the claws of the lion, and in such numbers they posed a serious threat.
Armed And Dangerous
Most of the hyenas still seemed to be keeping their distance, but one had armed itself with what appeared to be a stick, but might have been something altogether more grisly, and was gleefully swinging it around.
Amazingly, this hyena wasn’t just playing a game, but it appeared that it was actually using the stick as a tool with which to antagonize the lion. It ran close to the feline and swung the stick, potentially trying to hit it, which caused the lion to go for it.
The hyena was able to dart out of reach before the lion could do much more than growl intimidatingly, but it was amazing to see the hyenas using their environment to their advantage.
A Very Precarious Position
While the stick-wielding hyena wasn’t able to goad the lion into a proper chase, its antics did cause the feline to lose its concentration, and two hyenas were able to slip close enough to steal the meal.
It didn’t look like there was much left, but now it belonged to them, and that put the lion in a very dangerous position indeed. Another lion came out from its hiding place behind a tree, but even together, two lions wouldn’t last long against the vast amount of hyenas threatening them.
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Apex Predators Rendered Powerless
The hyenas were more concerned with devouring the remains of the lion’s prey than they were in an actual fight, but there were enough of them to cow the apex predators into peace.
If the lions were to try and fight the hyenas to win back their food, things would have gone bad for them very quickly. They didn’t have much of a choice other than to stand and wait for the hyenas to let them go.
Even apex predators can face insurmountable odds on occasion, and on sightings like these it’s important to watch closely and see how they might develop.
The threat of violence in the air can be tantalizing, but either way it’s still an amazing opportunity to see how these animals interact in the wild.
