Watch a Kudu Change Directions on A Dime When It Realizes A Lion is Hunting It

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There are a lot of unknowns in the land of Africa. You never know what’s around the corner when you go to visit. Along your safari tours, you might see a lion pride resting beneath a baobab tree, a cheetah on a wild chase on the open plains, or a pack of wild hyenas scavenging for food. 

Well, just as we might never know what we will encounter, the same is true for animals. Will a crocodile lurking beneath eat them up at the watering hole? Will the king of the jungle hunt them down? Perhaps a herd of elephants will chase them away from their territory. In the video above, let’s see what happens to this kudu that’s just out for an afternoon run. 

Kudu Sighting in South Africa

The short YouTube clip at the top of this blog post takes us to South Africa. The MFC Sarai Channel (More Family Collection) shared this video on their YouTube page. This channel is a family that owns many hotels, lodges, and residences in incredible places all around South Africa. They share the astounding footage that they see of animals from all over.

Lion Hunting Kudu

A safari tour going through South Africa has stopped as it is capturing the sight of a kudu running through the open plains. Suddenly, a lion, perfectly camouflaged by the grass, starts to chase this prey. 

The kudu doesn’t miss a beat and suddenly changes direction without tripping! His ability to think fast on his feet or hooves is what saved his life. Well, that and his incredible speed.

How Fast Can Kudu Run?

Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) of the genus Tragelaphus is a large antelope. These mammals can weigh anywhere from 265-565 pounds. What’s impressive about these animals is the horns on their head. These horns can grow up to six feet in length.

Antelope can run up to 40 miles per hour. The kudu puts them all to shame with their ability to run up to 60 miles per hour. They can keep this speed only when chased by a predator at short bursts. So, even though they may be unable to hold that speed for an extended time, it’s just enough to escape their predators. As we can see from the video posted at the top, it helped this kudu escape this lion’s jaws.