key point:
- Lions are very patient when hunting and can wait quietly until the right time to strike.
- Warthogs are generally peaceful, often choosing to flee rather than fight. They are fast, reaching speeds of up to 35 mph.
- Warthogs live stressful lives, preying on lions, cheetahs, hyenas and even crocodiles.
Here we have another great video shot in Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa. It has been viewed more than 13 million times and provides fascinating insights into how species behave in their natural environments.
©Adalbert Dragon/Shutterstock.com
warthog meets some lions
In the first half of the video, we see a warthog amble and then trot down a dirt road. Every now and then they stop to nibble on some plants and they are completely relaxed. This laid-back warthog is unaware that several lions are waiting to ambush to the left of the camera. We could see the back of their heads, well camouflaged in the golden grass, but the warthogs hadn’t realized what was ahead.
The lions showed great patience, and even if the warthogs stopped to graze for a moment, they would hide. We can only see their heads bobbing on the grass from time to time. In the middle of the video, one of the lions begins to crawl forward, and the warthog suddenly senses that something is going on! Amazingly, when a lion scrambled closer in the tall grass, the super cool warthog decided there was nothing to worry about and went back to graze. Warthog to the waiting lion! At one point, the lion turns to the camera as if to say “Can you trust this man?”
Eventually, the Warthog notices the lion and tries to run away, speeding towards the camera. But the lion is faster and stronger and there are two of them! Sadly, the results were inevitable.
©nwdph/Shutterstock.com
african warthog
Warthogs are found throughout southern and central Africa. They are members of the Suidae family and can be identified by their four sharp tusks and soft, wart-looking pad bumps on their faces – hence the name warthogs. They live in family groups and are rarely aggressive – they’d rather run away than fight. As we can see from this video, they are not slow! Warthogs can go up to 30 mph!
Lions aren’t the only animals that hunt warthogs. They are also preyed upon by cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and even crocodiles. Warthogs, on the other hand, eat mostly grass and tubers, but will also eat insects. Unfortunately, this person was so busy looking for food that he forgot to keep an eye out for predators!
Next:
Watch a pride of 18 lions attack a rhino, watch zebras and buffalo: this is not for the faint of heart.
Watch Cheetah vs. Lion: Watch the ultimate battle of the big cats!
Watch a cornered crocodile fight five grown lions: It’s something you don’t see every day – a cornered crocodile fighting for its life!
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.
