A 15-foot python eating a gazelle in one Bɪᴛᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛʟᴇd tourists on a safari in Kᴇɴʏᴀ. The astounding video was shot on a game drive in the Masai Mara reserve, which is well known for its sightings of big cats like lions, leopards, and cheetahs but not often snakes.
The large snake can be seen gently devouring the antelope in the footage, finishing it off with its legs, before meandering lazily into a nearby stream. The python’s tail stays curled around the portion of the prey that hasn’t yet been consumed as the snake increased to several times its usual size as the gazelle started to fill most of its body.
A local guide can be heard in the video describing how the snake consumes a chemical that softens the prey and facilitates digestion. The video was captured by Worcestershire tourists Car on and Mark Steele while they were on vacation in October.
The pair was traveling with Natural World Safaris, a firm that specializes in tailor-made vacations that let visitors get near to some of the most amazing and elusive species while supporting local conservation initiatives. The pair was informed about the sᴄᴇɴᴇ by tour guide Andrew Lenkume.
According to Caron, the most plausible scenario is that the python emerged from the water and grabbed the gazelle’s head in its jaw as it went to drink. She continued that the snake was presumably hauled out of the water as the gazelle retreated away trying to get away. The python would have then encircled the gazelle with its body and strangled it.
The Rock Python is the largest snake in Africa, but because of its ability to blend in with the surrounding ɢʀᴀsses, it is rarely seen on game drives.
