A bushbuck is stuck between a rock and a hard place. As wild dogs surround it and it chooses to get into a mud wallow with a hippo to try and evade the dogs’ snapping jaws. The hippo unleashes its anger on the buck and crushes it.
“My guests and I were out on a game drive at the end of the dry season. Meandering along the banks of the Sand River. Following a large pack of wild dogs that consisted of around 26 individuals. Pups and adults all together.”
Wild dogs hunt in groups and are endurance hunters. This means that they run at their prey, maintaining a high pace with consistency. Their incredible technique makes them some of the most successful hunters on the African continent. Their success rate in hunts averages a whopping 80%.
“The dogs were passing by a mud wallow when suddenly a bushbuck broke into a full speed frenzy and ran. The chaos of 26 wild dogs ensued. Before we knew it, the bushbuck was in the mud wallow and trapped. However, it was not alone.”
“A territorial bull hippo was startled by the commotion and fled, only to realize what was transpiring, and so it made a hasty retreat back to the safety of the wallow. The wild dogs then surrounded the wallow and tried yet again to subdue the bushbuck. This hippo clearly was not in the mood and chased the dogs off. What transpired next was the most bizarre part.”
“I couldn’t tell you what went through this hippo’s mind. We watched the bushbuck struggle in the thick mud, which was covered in gray sludge. We’ll never know if the hippo was sympathetic and wanted to help, or if it was confused and thought this was one of the wild dogs. In a flash, the hippo turned and snapped the young antelope, killing it!”
“The patient dogs seized the opportunity and within seconds began devouring the buck. It didn’t stop there… The remaining dogs managed to flush another bushbuck in the exact direction of the feast. Another kill! The dogs killed the second buck and devoured it as well. Disbelief and shock are an understatement for the emotions we were feeling.”
Seeing a kill on safari is a sight many dream of. Witnessing two kills in the span of seconds is rare and almost unbelievable. That is the beauty of the bush, it is and will always remain unpredictable.
