Worst Day Ever as a Kudu Fights Wild Dogs, a Hippo, and Crocodile at Once

This poor kudo is having the day from hell. He is forced to fend off not just wild dogs but also a hippo and a crocodile! The outcome is inevitable.

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Wild Dogs as Accomplished Hunters

From this stunning footage of a pack of wild dogs in their natural habitat we learn that they are amongst the best hunting species in Africa. Packs can pursue prey over long distances and, working together, they are able to overcome animals that are much bigger than they are. They have great stamina and can outrun many other animals who tire more easily. African wild dogs are also called painted dogs and Cape hunting dogs and have mottled fur which acts as camouflage when they are roaming the deserts, open-plains and arid savanna areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

They live in groups (packs) made up of between 10 and 30 individuals. Within the packs there is a hierarchy with a breeding pair having dominance over the other dogs.

A Poor Choice of Escape

In this unique footage, we see that a kudu has been pursued by a group of wild dogs and has entered a river to try to escape. The male kudu (an antelope species) has long, twisting horns on the top of his head and uses them to fend off the dogs as best he can. He seems to just about have the situation under control when a huge hippo emerges from the water behind him. We see the hippo before the kudu does!

When the kudo does notice the hippo, he obviously perceives it to be just as big a threat as the wild dogs. He twists his body and pushes his large horns towards the astonished hippo who promptly turns around and sinks back under the water. The poor kudo thinks that he is now much safer but is making a mistake by staying in the river because a more deadly predator is lurking beneath the murky water.

The kudu is so focused on fending off the wild dogs that he does not notice a large crocodile sneaking up on his left. With no warning, the croc strikes with deadly accuracy and drags its prey into the water. The kudu has no time at all to react or to try to escape and within seconds it is dead. The odds were stacked against this poor animal!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jurgens Potgieter/Shutterstock.com