This is the moment when a clan of hyenas all came together to save a clan mate from the jaws of a massive lion!
This amazing show of strong family bonds was captured on camera by Maddie Lowe while on safari with Margot Lowe and guide Witness Mathebule also known as De Beer.
Margot and Maddie Lowe, from Australia, were on their second day of safari at Arathusa Safari Lodge, when they had returned to a sighting of a kill made by lions the previous day.
Suddenly, there was a change in the atmosphere as some of the hyenas stopped feeding and became very weary. The group could sense that something was about to go down! But what? No one knew.
However today there were no lions around but instead a clan of hyenas feeding on the remains.
Then, out of nowhere, a huge male lion came charging in . The hyenas scattered in every direction and squealed with displeasure.
Luckily for those hyenas who sensed the danger, their getaway was easy. The others who were too busy eating just managed to escape by mere inches!
However, one unlucky hyena was just not fast enough and was caught! The lion and hyena went tumbling in a full summersault. The lion’s powerful jaws closed around the hyena’s head in a deadly grip. The situation appeared dire for the hyena until something remarkable happened. Its clan rushed to its aid, demonstrating the close bonds that exist among these animals.
The clan began biting and nipping at the lion’s back and hind legs. The lion tried to ignore the constant pestering from the hyenas but had no option and was forced to turn and face them. In the process, the hyenas were able to cause enough distraction that the poor hyena, which looked as if it had seen its last day, was able to break free!
A dramatic rescue by hyenas after a lion catches one of their clan members!
