INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Three Lions Battle Giant Crocodile In Kenya Over Elephant Prize

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 02:45 PST, Aug 21, 2014

A visitor to the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya caught an epic battle on video, as a giant crocodile faced off against a trio of lions in a battle over the carcass of a felled elephant.

Kai Banks uploaded video of the rumble to YouTube, The Daily Mail relates. It reveals the harrowing scene as two of Africa’s fiercest predators approach the carcass of an elephant that had died by the side of a lake in the reserve, each hoping for an easy meal.

The readily killed prey set the stage for a stand-off between the young lion and the Nile crocodile, which is the largest reptilian predator in the world. Sporting over 30 teeth in its massive jaws, so powerful they are thought to rival those of a T.Rex, the Nile crocodile has existed for over 250 million years, outliving even the dinosaurs. The crocodile and lion eyed each other warily, but the situation quickly escalated as two more lions joined the confrontation.

“We knew it was something special when our guide’s mouth dropped open as soon as the lions jumped onto the crocodile,” Banks said, according to The Huffington Post. Violence ensued as the crocodile and the trio of lions thrashed about in the shallow water. The first of two fights filmed by Banks left the confrontation at a draw; although one lion bled from its leg, the trio had managed to slash the crocodile with their claws.

While the confrontation is dramatic to watch, it isn’t the first video of such an unusual and primal battle to reach the internet. As The Inquisitr previously reported, a crocodile in Australia was caught on video facing off against a bull shark. Although the outcome of that battle was not recorded, the crocodile was though to have won.

Quickly, the African predators reconvened to continue the fight. Due to a technical error, the second confrontation Banks recorded appears in the video as a succession of stills. Revealing the lions as they gain the upper hand against the crocodile, the photos show them piling on the reptile as the fight turns their way. The lions slapped the crocodile around its snout, as one bit into its webbed foot.

Weakened, the crocodile retreated from the fight, exhausted and defeated. As Banks points out in the video, none of the lions were seriously injured, while the crocodile was “crippled.” One of the final frames shows the pride descending upon the elephant carcass, devouring it, while the lion who began the fight stands over the defeated crocodile.

[Image via Daily Mail]

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