Look At the Determination This Zebra Has To Come Out of This Fight Alive

Continue reading for our analysis...

The strength of the king of the jungle knows no bounds. They are often elevated to this position of never being able to fail. However, we know that is not the truth. Lions are capable of being hurt and killed by the very prey that they hunt. It’s just a dangerous hunt for them as it is for their prey. In the video shared above, let’s see how intense the fight between the lion and the zebra is. 

Lion Hunting Zebra in Africa

The YouTube video seen at the beginning of the blog post takes us to the land of Africa. The lion is known as one of the Big Five that dominate this landscape. And zebras are one of the most populous herbivorous prey hunted by them. The Banok Safaris YouTube page reposted this video to their 88,000+ subscribers. Their most recent videos share footage of hippos, hyenas, elephants, and safari tours. 

Zebra Fights Back and Escapes

As the video above starts out, we see this lion has hunted down a lone zebra. This could have been a zebra who found itself away from the safety of its herd, wandering alone. Or it could have been this lion was able to cut a zebra off from a herd. A zebra herd can get up to hundreds of members. So, knowing how to cut one off from a herd takes a tremendous skill. One that lions are very well versed in.

At first, it looks like the lion is completely successful in taking his prey down by holding a tight grip on the zebra. However, this zebra seems as if he has been in this situation before. He uses his weight to turn his body, likely causing great pain. But, in the end, it paid off. And he was able to break free from the lion’s grip and run off. 

Do Lions Bite Their Prey’s Throat?

There are many ways in which a lion might capture its prey. This could be by jumping on top of them, going for their legs, or using an entire lion pride to surround them. However, one of the most popular ways the lion attacks their prey is by the ever-famous chokehold. 

As we can clearly see, the zebra is significantly larger than the lion. Zebras (Equus quagga) weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Whereas lions (Panthera leo) can weigh up to 550 pounds. The lion has to leverage the strength of his body. And pull down on his prey’s throat.

The University of Minnesota shares the following. “If the prey is captured, the lion bites at the muzzle or throat to throttle it.” This is the quickest way to eliminate their prey without a fierce fight. One that might not end well for the lion. 

Even though this is one of the most popular methods that a lion uses, we can see it’s not an infallible method. The zebra was successful in getting out of this chokehold and escaping unscathed.