More than 40 crocodiles rushed to bite the leg of a zebra in the river of death flowing through Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya.
Zebras were helplessly dragged into the water as they tried to cross the river during the annual migration with a herd of 300 horses through the plains of Kenya, Long Room reported on January 29. As soon as the zebra sets foot in the water, the crocodiles immediately rise to the surface and attack the prey from many directions.
French photographer Jean-Francois Raux took a series of photos documenting the struggle with crocodiles and the death of a zebra while on holiday in Kenya. The Nile crocodiles with jaws that can bite up to 2.5 tons, eat zebra meat in a moment, only have one leg and the head is still bobbing above the water.
Raux witnessed the herd of zebras reaching the riverbank and crossing the river a few days ago. “Everything happened around, maybe three hundred zebras decided to cross the river at the same time, forcing small groups of 2 – 3 crocodiles to disperse to avoid being stepped on by zebras. More than 40 crocodiles competed for their share. from a zebra carcass. This is a real carnage,” Raux said.
Nile crocodiles fight with each other for prey. Crocodiles are famous for grabbing their prey and throwing them on the surface of the water in circles to pull out large chunks of meat. Crocodiles have extremely slow metabolism and can go without food for days. However, they can digest as much food as half their body weight. Nile crocodiles can also knock down prey weighing more than a ton. Herds of migratory zebras often pay a heavy price when they swim across the river in the Maasai Mara every year.