Lions chase and take down a zebra. We had been following the Enkoyanai pride of lions for some time in the early morning light of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Maasai Mara. They were clearly on the lookout for potential prey. First they spotted a giraffe and then a small herd of Hartebeest. But the pride had been spotted and the possibility of a hunt went away. Then a herd of Zebras could be seen in the distance. Two of the senior lionesses set off and did a wide pincer movement towards the herd. One of the lionesses set off at pace and began chasing a couple of Zebras that were detached from the herd. The chase was fast and frantic which made filming very difficult. The chase ended with the Zebra being brought down by the second lioness – the pincer movement had worked superbly well. We didn’t see the actual takedown because this happened beyond the brow of a small hill. However, we were on the scene very quickly. It was not an easy thing to watch. The lioness had the Zebra by the head with her powerful jaw and her front paws held the Zebra by the neck. This struggle went on for several minutes. The Zebra was considerably heavier than the lioness and was a very powerful animal. Yet the strength and tenacity of the lioness was remarkable and she won the struggle. Only when other members of the pride arrived could the final blow be made. The two females which did the hunt were clearly exhausted and took a long time to recover. Finally, the Zebra succumbed to the onslaught and the pride could enjoy the fruits of their labour and the cubs would get a good feed. We left them to it. Quite an encounter as lions chase and take down a Zebra. Nature red in tooth and claw!
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