Filmmaker Liza Kruger captured a tense, sad scene near Nkaya Pan in Kruger National Park.
Kruger’s footage, shared to YouTube by Latest Sightings, follows two African wild dogs as they guide their 10 pups along the H1-3, likely to a new den, under cold, wet conditions that made the pups noisy.
Spooked by trailing hyenas, the skittish adults kept the litter close. Suspecting danger, they left the pups on the road to scout, and the young hid in grass.
Returning, the parents seemed to redirect, but soon faced a lion ahead. A pup lay still near it, then staggered up to flee, with a broken leg. The lion pursued, grabbed the small pup, and dropped it in the grass, where its cries faded. Liza suspected another pup was taken by a second lion, as the adults frantically searched the grass but found no pups.
As incredibly sad as this sighting is, it underlines the harsh reality of life that occurs within nature. As one commenter on YouTube puts it:
“Nature isn’t like a Disney movie. It’s a constant struggle for existence, and for some, the struggle doesn’t last long at all. Respect it.”
ALSO WATCH: Leopard lands on hood of open vehicle during game drive in Kruger
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