Watch a Lion Surprise Dinner and Get Quickly Frontflipped

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: August 30, 2023
© Riaan van den Berg/Shutterstock.com
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Key Points

  • Lions tend to hunt by sneaking up on their prey and then giving chase.
  • Lionesses usually hunt as a pride. They work as a team and this allows them to capture larger prey without having to put in too much effort.
  • In this video, we see a lioness who is apparently hunting alone. She cleverly uses the parked vehicles to hide her approach.

This video is both incredible and brutal. It is upsetting because it shows, in graphic detail, the death of an animal. However, it also shows nature at its most powerful and we can only admire the two brave animals involved in this fight to the death. The footage was taken at the Maasai Mara national game reserve in Narok, Kenya known for its wild and rugged landscapes and rich diversity of animal species.

Lioness Hunting an Eland

Lionesses usually hunt as a pride. They work as a team and this allows them to capture larger prey without having to put in too much effort. Lions tend to hunt by sneaking up on their prey and then giving chase. If they can find something to hide behind, that is even better.

In this video, we see a lioness who is apparently hunting alone. She cleverly uses the parked vehicles to hide her approach. To the right of the trucks is a poor unsuspecting eland.

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Eland are a type of antelope and part of the Bovidae family which are native to several areas of southern Africa. They like to live in grasslands, woodlands, mountains, and savannas. Their diet is made up of mainly high-protein plants and they prefer the leaves of flowering plants but will eat whatever is available.

Elands are the largest members of the antelope family but can leap four feet in the air

©Rocchas/Shutterstock.com

Brave Lioness

An adult eland is a big challenge for a lioness. They can grow to over 2,550 pounds and reach nine feet in height. They don’t have a great deal by way of defense against predators apart from their size, camouflage, and horns. However, they are very athletic and agile (they can leap over a four-foot-high fence) and are good at dodging! They also have great stamina. As you can see here, the eland is able to flip the lioness onto her back which puts her in a vulnerable position for a few seconds.

However, the more powerful lion is able to eventually overcome the eland. As well as lions, eland is also hunted by other large predators. These include hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs. Some other smaller predators may target eland calves.

Human populations in Russia and South Africa use eland milk and meat in their cuisine and they are often treated like cattle.


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About the Author

Sharon has a Ph.D. in Public Health but has spent the last decade researching and writing about all things connected with animal health and well being. As a life-long animal lover, she now shares her family home with three rabbits, a Syrian hamster, and a very energetic Cocker Spaniel but in the past she has also been a Mom to Guinea Pigs and several cats!She has a passion for researching accurate and credible information about pets and reviewing products that make pet owners' lives a bit easier. When she isn't checking out new pet products she's trekking around the Welsh mountains and beaches with her dog - although she lets her husband and her three grown up daughters tag along sometimes if they are lucky!

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