“Battle in Mid-Air: Leaping Wildebeest’s Incredible Kick Saves the Day in a Dramatic Encounter”
This is the incredible moment a wildebeest makes an astonishing leap over two pouncing lionesses before outrunning seven big cats.
The escape, at Rhino Post Safari Lodge in Kruger National Park, South Africa, shows the wildebeest – already fleeing one lioness – stumbling into the path of two more hungry big cats.
As the big cats pounce, the wildebeest launches into the air, managing to avoid the lionesses’ claws and land a hefty kick to one in the head.
The encounter, caught on film by Lauren Hughey and posted on YouTube, starts with the wildebeest kicking up dust with his hooves as it swerves to avoid one female lion jumping out of the grass.
Ms Hughey says: ‘Look, she’s going to catch him,’ but the wildebeest keeps running.
As it makes its enormous leap over the next two predators, Ms Hughey can be heard exclaiming: ‘My God!’
As the wildebeest jumps, it unleashes a formidable weapon of its own – a massive kick with his rear hoof, which catches the unfortunate hunter square in the face.
Once past them, it bounds into a river and four more lionesses who had been lurking unseen in the grass join the chase, skirting round the water.
Mrs Hughey exclaims: ‘This is awesome!’ as the wildebeest reaches the other side and begins running again, its hooves clattering on the hard ground.
It looks as though the lionesses might catch up, but the wildebeest keeps running and disappears out of view into dense undergrowth.
