Watch This Beastly Wildbeest Take on Crocodiles and Hippos… And Somehow Survive

When you get yourself into a spot of bother with some Nile crocodiles, it always helps if you have some big mates that you can turn to for help. In this amazing clip, we see a wildebeest getting attacked by at least two crocodiles and it looks like it’s all over for this herbivore. But help is on the way! A large hippo moves forward and nudges the wildebeest to safety. All the crocodiles can do is watch and wonder what happened to their lunch!

Watch the Amazing Scene Below

Do Crocodiles Normally Eat Wildebeest?

Nile crocodiles are carnivores and predators. They have a reputation for killing and eating just about anything that moves near their watery homes. Their classic hunting style is to lurk under the water and wait whilst animals approach to drink. They also ambush animals as they are crossing rivers during migrations.

Their diet includes large terrestrial animals such as water buck, buffalo, impala, and wildebeest. They do not always win, however, and sometimes the wildebeest manages to get away even without the help of hippos!

Is This Normal Behavior for Hippos?

Firstly, let’s be clear that this hippo has not gone out of its way to help the wildebeest. They are not as helpful as that to other species! This is more likely to be territorial behavior by the hippo. As a species, they are highly territorial and will ferociously defend their patch of the river. This hippo is probably viewing both the wildebeest and the crocodile as a trespasser and as competition. As it is trying to get rid of the wildebeest, it just happens to help it away from the crocodile and onto land.

Do Crocodiles Normally Eat or Fear Hippos?

This hippo was taking a slight risk by getting so close to the crocodile, but it would be unusual for a Nile crocodile to attack a fit adult hippo. They will, however, attack and eat hippo calves. Therefore, the hippos would prefer it if the crocodiles stayed at some distance away.

Hippos have been seen exerting their dominance over Nile crocodiles on several occasions. They push the crocodiles aside when they are basking on land and they have also been seen pushing crocodiles into the water. When female hippos have calves to defend, they will drive all the crocodiles from their pool of water. Hippos will also kill crocodiles if they get too close to their calves!