In the wilds of Africa, few animals are more fearsome than crocodiles. With powerful jaws and a lightning-fast sᴛʀɪᴋᴇ, the crocodile is one of the deadliest predators in the animal kingdom. Recently, a video has surfaced showing crocodiles ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ a zebra, highlighting the ʙʀᴜᴛᴀʟ reality of life in the wild.
More than 40 crocodiles ʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ to ʙɪᴛᴇ the leg of a zebra in the river of death flowing through Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya.
Zebras were ʜᴇʟᴘʟᴇssʟʏ dragged into the water as they tried to cross the river during the annual migration with a herd of 300 horses through the plains of Kenya, Long Room reported on January 29. As soon as the zebra sets foot in the water, the crocodiles immediately rise to the surface and ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ the prey from many directions.
French photographer Jean-Francois Raux took a series of photos documenting the sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ with crocodiles and the ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ of a zebra while on holiday in Kenya. The Nile crocodiles with jaws that can bite up to 2.5 tons, eat zebra meat in a moment, only have one leg and the head is still bobbing above the water.
Raux witnessed the herd of zebras reaching the riverbank and crossing the river a few days ago. “Everything happened around, maybe three hundred zebras decided to cross the river at the same time, forcing small groups of 2 – 3 crocodiles to disperse to avoid being stepped on by zebras. More than 40 crocodiles competed for their share from a zebra ᴄᴀʀᴄᴀss. This is a real ᴄᴀʀɴᴀɢᴇ,” Raux said.
Nile crocodiles fight with each other for prey. Crocodiles are famous for grabbing their prey and throwing them on the surface of the water in circles to pull out large chunks of ᴍᴇᴀᴛ. Crocodiles have extremely slow metabolism and can go without food for days. However, they can digest as much food as half their body weight. Nile crocodiles can also knock down prey weighing more than a ton. Herds of migratory zebras often pay a heavy price when they swim across the river in the Maasai Mara every year.
the video of the crocodile ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋɪɴɢ the zebra is a stark and sobering reminder of the ʜᴀʀsʜ realities of life in the wild. It is a testament to the power of nature and the importance of conservation efforts to protect these magnificent animals and their habitats. While difficult to watch, it is also a reminder of the beauty and fragility of the natural world, and the need to coexist with the creatures that call it home.
Watch the full video here: