When the video started playing, it seemed the alligator was finished. There are spectators in the safari and they are capturing a unique sight. A lion grabbed a crocodile from behind and began biting its neck. When the lion threw the crocodile to the ground, the crocodile opened its mouth and pointed upwards. Surrounded by three cubs, the lion pulled the crocodile down and bit its body. You can hear its threatening growl, but it’s not clear if it’s trying to feast on the crocodile or if it’s just playing a ferocious game with it.
“Sorry, alligator,” you can hear a woman say behind the camera. There is something sympathetic about watching a lion attack a crocodile, although a crocodile will not hesitate to attack if necessary. Although lions generally won’t refrain from eating crocodiles unless food is scarce in their environment, they won’t hesitate to eat them if need be. As the video continues, the crocodile’s fate appears to be sealed. You can see it has several stab wounds on its head and it literally tried to bend its body back in an attempt to catch the lion that was attacking it.
Unfortunately for the crocodile, it couldn’t turn its body enough to catch the lion. The video cuts off and the crocodile falls to the ground in front of the three lion cubs. The lion is still behind it, but the crocodile has managed to fight for its life. It seems like the lion got bored with a toy and lost interest. The young lions continued to paw at it, seemingly half curious and half frightened.
The crocodile started moving away from the lion and into the water. It moves very slowly, but whenever the lion approaches, it defends itself and opens its mouth threateningly. Hissing and growling, it turned to face the defending lion. Towards the end of the video, the larger lion appeared to show interest again and tugged on the crocodile’s left hind leg a few times. Eventually, however, the alligator was able to dive into the water and return safely. Although the lion’s razor-sharp teeth and claws did injure him, he managed to live an extra day.
Watch a lion attack a crocodile that trespasses on its land
Next, watch how lions reign supreme in the wild…
- Watch a cornered crocodile fight five grown lions
- Watch two male lions play hide and seek over dinner
- Watch lions hunt the biggest antelope you’ve ever seen
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
