Unlucky Zebra Trapped by Crocodiles Gets Chomped On the Head

Zebra Crossing a River Gets Unlucky and Snatched Up By Crocodiles!

In the heartbreaking and tragic video at the top of the page, an unlucky zebra gets singled out and sunk! The video begins as a herd of zebras swim across a deep river, single file as they rush anxiously between shores. Rapidly approaching in the river behind them are two Nile crocodiles, snouts pointing out above the water. The crocodiles keep swimming as quickly as they can towards the passing opportunity for a meal. One of the two even dives underwater to go faster. Dread starts to creep into the heart of anyone watching, and the zebras show they’re also aware of the danger!

They begin jumping and going as quickly as they can as the first crocodile begins to reach them, and a foal seems to jump directly onto it! The camera pans to show the young foal struggling to continue on, potentially bitten by the Nile crocodile. The video then cuts to a later clip, when the same foal is surrounded by five or more crocs. A truly tragic scene, the crocodiles hold the foal at the water level while chomping bits of the still alive victim. If you ever thought the life of a zebra was easy, this will surely make you think again. 

The Nile crocodiles slowly drag the zebra’s head underwater, finally putting it out of its misery. But its survival instinct refuses to give up. And the little zebra frees its head from one of the croc’s jaws. But its victory is short lived. It’s still pinned down and can’t get away from the crowd of hungry crocodiles. Within seconds, a crocodile chomps its huge jaws on the poor foal’s face once again. Sinking its head underwater once again, the clip ends as the zebra’s fate is sealed. Life in the african wilderness is far from easy, and this river crossing proved to be the final gambit for one young zebra.

How Powerful Is a Nile Crocodile’s Bite?

The Nile crocodile, wielding an impressive bite force of around 5,000 pounds per square inch, reigns as a fearsome predator throughout its habitat spanning Egypt, Sudan, and South Africa. This is a debated topic, with some studies finding the saltwater crocodile to have the higher bite force. Saltwater crocodiles are able to grow bigger and stronger, so it may be a matter of averages vs. extremes. Either way, crocodiles have simply terrifying bite forces!

This crazy strength means the Nile crocodile can tackle impressive prey like wildebeests, zebras, and even behemoths like buffalo. Unfortunately, this predatory prowess occasionally results in human fatalities. The estimated mortality rate is 200 per year, showing the Nile crocodile’s significant threat to humans that share its habitat.

In comparison, other crocodile species like the mugger crocodile and saltwater crocodile exhibit lesser bite forces. Still impressively strong, they boast bite forces at around 2,000 and 3,700 pounds per square inch, respectively. Despite the disparities in bite force, the mugger and saltwater crocodiles still pose significant threats to humans. The recorded mortality rates are 1.5 to 2.5 incidents per year for the mugger crocodile and 10 to 15 incidents per year for the saltwater crocodile.

The mugger crocodile was once viewed as an extremely dangerous and vilified ‘man-eating’ croc. But habitat destruction and hunting have slashed their populations in the last few decades. Even still, these kinds of mortality numbers emphasize the threat crocodiles pose. Their incredible bite force, paired with the evidence of human mortality rates, show that crocodiles can truly hunt anything.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sagar Smooth Photography/Shutterstock.com