One very lucky impala managed to escape three of the most dangerous types of animals in Africa, eluding 16 wild dogs, swimming through crocodile-infested waters and finally ducking a pod of very surly hippos.
And the impala did it all in under 2 minutes, as seen in this video posted by Kruger Sightings:
The footage was filmed at Thornybush Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger, South Africa.
National Geographic reported that the impala’s speed and ability to jump meant it was not as easy a target as it might appear, not even for the wild dogs in this video, which are known for their ruthless ability to take down prey.
“They have a reputation for being Africa’s most effective hunters, with, they say, up to 80% of their hunts ending in a kill,” wildlife photographer Nick Dyer told the BBC in 2019. “Personally, I think that’s a bit high, but it’s definitely well above that of a lion or a cheetah or a leopard.”
But wild dogs don’t swim, which the impala used to its advantage.
“For the impala to escape the wild dogs and then not got taken down by the crocodiles in there and get past the hippos was quite amazing,” ranger Daniel Hitchings told Kruger Sightings. “Sometimes luck is on your side and sometimes it isn’t. It was this impala’s day.”
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