Lions are renowned for their hunting skills but as these incredible new pictures show, sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted.
As one of the most powerful animals on the planet, the big cats are used to having their pick of the large mammals that traverse the plains of African and the wilds of India.
Their impressive speed and pack hunting often result in kills large enough to feed an entire pride yet sometimes Mother Nature reverses her natural order to give the lions’ prey the upper hand.
Who do you think you’re looking at? The baby wildebeest chases the terrified young lioness into a stream
Despite having been wounded by its larger adversary, the six-month-old wildebeest rose like Lazarus to frighten off its natural predator
An extraordinary episode captured on the banks of the Talek river in the Masai Mara in Kenya reveal how, thanks to the courage of a young wildebeest, the king of the jungle exhibited behaviour more reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz’s Cowardly Lion.
Hunting alongside two younger cats, a three-year-old lion had brawled with two young wildebeest and injured one, with the fawn taking rest in the shallow waters of the Talek tributary of the Masai river.
As the wildebeest nursed its wounds in the four-foot-deep water, the powerfully built lion moved in repeatedly for the attack before mysteriously hesitating.
But as the feline killer steadied her nerve and moved in for the kill, the food chain slipped, with remarkable results.
Herds of wildebeest are often fearful of crossing the relatively shallow Talek as its steep banks enable predators to conceal themselves.
With the element of surprise and stunning fearlessness at its disposal, the wildebeest’s retaliation spooked the cowardly lion who sprinted away in disgrace
Namesake: The Cowardly Lion in the film classic Wizard of Oz, together with the Scarecrow, Dorothy and Tin Man
With its prey wounded and the lion poised to attack, the circle of life looked set to roll on its traditional bloody fashion, with a weak herbivore falling victim to a vicious and skilled meat-eater.
But on this occasion in the Kenyan safari, David overcame Goliath with amazing results. Despite having been wounded by its larger adversary, the six-month-old wildebeest rose like Lazarus to frighten off its natural predator.
With the element of surprise and stunning fearlessness at its disposal, the wildebeest’s retaliation spooked the cowardly lion who sprinted away in disgrace.
Having faced death and lived to tell the tale, the brave young fawn managed to rejoin the migrating herd while – presumably – the lion slunk back to its pride with its tail between its legs.
The above photos are not the only instance of a wildebeest fighting back against an attacking lion, with thrilling video footage showing an adult wildebeest successfully evading the capture of three approaching big cats.