Watch This Powerful Zebra TKO a Wildebeest With a Single Kick

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: October 19, 2023
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This is the worst case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time that we have seen in ages! This poor wildebeest is minding its own business when a zebra gets a little irritated by the insects buzzing around. The animals are near some watering holes – the plus side is that they get a drink, the downside is that you get bothered by the insects that also gather there.

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The zebra tries to move the insects along with a flick of the tail but when that doesn’t work it instinctively kicks out.

Directly behind the zebra, with its head down to graze on a patch of grass, is an unsuspected wildebeest. The poor animal gets a massive blow to the head and appears to be completely knocked out for a while. Most of the other animals scatter as it struggles to get back on its feet.

Although it doesn’t take long for the other wildebeest to return and carry on eating while their friend writhes on the ground! Eventually, it manages to get to its feet but we can only imagine the headache it has for the rest of the day!

What do lions eat - hunting zebras

A zebra kick is so powerful it can seriously injure a

lion

!

©GUDKOV ANDREY/Shutterstock.com

Wildebeest Are Tough!

It takes a lot to TKO a wildebeest because these guys are tough! They live in the southern parts of Africa and are a type of antelope – there are over one and a half million of them. These animals have a large head and horns and are hunted by large carnivores such as lions, hyenas, leopards and African wild dogs. Males are very territorial and fight by crashing their heads and horns into each other so a blow on the head is not an unusual experience for these animals.

Zebras With a Deadly Kick

Zebras are a lot more than stripy horses! They are equids and members of the horse family but are full of attitude and are used to standing up for themselves. They defend themselves by using their powerful hind limbs to kick back at predators. It is thought that they can deliver up to 3,000 psi and that they have the most powerful kick in the animal kingdom. This has caused serious injuries to hyenas and even lions so it is not a surprise that this poor wildebeest was so stunned!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Ranveig / CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository – License / Original


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About the Author

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer at A-Z animals where her primary focus is on dogs, animal behavior, and research. Sharon holds a PhD from Leeds University, UK which she earned in 1998 and has been working as a science writer for the last 15 years. A resident of Wales, UK, Sharon loves taking care of her spaniel named Dexter and hiking around coastlines and mountains.

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