Wild Encounter at the Watering Hole: A Wildebeest, Crocodile, and Hippo Clash in a Deadly Showdown

Jun 27, 2024

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A wildebeest, a crocodile and a hippo met at a watering hole – but the result was no joke.

The female wildebeest, scorched by the sweltering South African sun, stopped by to take a drink, but was attacked by the ravenous croc, Caters News Agency reported.

Suddenly, the hippo showed up and battled the croc for the meal. The croc won the free-for-all.

Neil Goodes, 60, a retired pharmaceutical CEO from Australia, captured all the action during his safari in South Africa.

“You hoped the wildebeest would escape and when the hippo moved in you thought that might happen,” he said. “It was unsettling to watch this struggle unfold over the course of nearly an hour.”

Despite the violent struggle, the beasts remained strangely silent.

“Apart from the thrashing noise of the struggle it was very, very quiet,” Goodes said. “Sometimes on safari in the safety of your Jeep you can forget how precarious life is in the bush. This was a reminder just how delicate is the balance between life and death.”

Caters News Agency