Watch This Confident Lion Assert Its Dominance and Smack a Crocodile Right in the Face

It’s safe to assume that there were lion cubs nearby and the cats were not going to let a predator as fearsome as a crocodile get anywhere near them. One lion in particular swats the snout of the croc multiple times. 

The ancient animal begins treading backward as it defends itself by opening up its jaw. Crocodiles have one of the most powerful bite forces in nature. The Nile crocodile possesses the strongest bite of all living things on Earth today, at 5,000 psi.

Becoming Cornered

In the video, the defensive lioness continues walking toward the crocodile and swatting at its face. This causes the croc to become cornered eventually. At one point, we can see the lion start digging in the ground directly in front of the crocodile like a dog burying a bone. 

To the left of the screen, you’ll be able to spot additional lions in the area, yet they leave the battle to the single lioness. During the entire interaction, the female lion has her tail raised and you can occasionally see it flick from one side to another. 

When hunting for prey, females lift their tails to communicate with one another. The movement of a lion’s tail might also indicate how it is feeling. A lion may caution the pride to stay away if there is danger nearby by flicking its tail.

How Large Do Crocodiles Get?

The saltwater species of crocodile is the largest living reptile in modern existence. Males typically get to 20 feet long on average and rarely weigh more than 3,300 pounds. While males are massive, females are much smaller and don’t usually grow past 10 feet long.

Besides larger crocodiles, crocodiles do not have any known natural predators other than humans and habitat loss.

Additionally, the largest population of crocodiles is in the Tarcoles River with an estimated 25 crocs per quarter mile.

Is It Normal For Crocodiles and Lions to Fight?

Lion-crocodile conflicts are rare but possible.. Their overlapping environment and similar food source are the main reasons why crocodiles and lions are bitter enemies. In fact, elephants and rhinos pose the greatest threat to lions, even the unassuming porcupine can be a danger to these powerful predators.

Although a crocodile could potentially kill a lion in a single bite, it’s more probable that the lion would manage to escape the crocodile before reaching such a critical situation.

Defending the Young

As the video continues, we see a lion cub hiding under who we can assume is its mother. Lions are known to be incredibly defensive of their babies. In fact, they’re so defensive of their little ones they often die in a battle to keep them safe.

Thankfully, the crocodile in this instance got the message. The lioness stood her ground and wasn’t going to let any animal get close to the precious cub. Believe it or not, many times lionesses have to defend their young from other lions. 

When a male lion sets its sight on a pride and wants it as his own, he will kill any other male lion within the pride. Unfortunately, this includes the young as well. It’s extremely common for male lions to fight one another. 

Unless food shortages compel them to leave, females typically remain in their mothers’ prides for their whole lives. When young boys get big enough to take on with the dominant males, they are expelled from their prides.