We conducted a survey with members of our community to find out which animal would prevail in a fight between lions and wild dogs. We received approximately 2,000 votes in 9 hours. With 82% of the vote, lions prevailed. However, this video demonstrates that it may not always be about raw power; perhaps using your mind can help you survive a fight with lions.
A group of wild dogs chase an impala right into a pride of lions in this amazing moment, where one dog is captured. You may believe the dog is lost, but it acts dead as it waits for the right opportunity to flee.
According to Klaus Boehmer, who is a German engineer in his fifties and has been traveling to Africa for almost twenty years, Kira, my daughter, is frequently with me. In July 2017, we would return to Botswana. It was my fourth visit, although Kira had only visited once. We had never been to the Khwai Community Concession, though. My favorite species, the wild dog, is highly represented in Khwai, and sure enough, on our very first game drive, our mobile safari camping guide, “Master,” was able to show us the den of the local pack, which was a half-hour drive from our camp, with the assistance of other guides.
Wild dogs, particularly those with puppies, typically hunt twice daily, in the early morning and late afternoon, returning to their den to feed their young. Thus, our daily routine was leaving camp at the crack of morning, going straight to the den, and then attempting to chase after the pack.
On July 20th, we were initially no different; we were anxious to discover out if the dogs were still sleeping or if they had already gotten up to find food. But as we approached the den, our guide spotted a couple of other safari cars off in the distance. He advised that they take a short detour to see what they were viewing. I was initially hesitant because I thought we would miss the wild dog group, but after a brief conversation, we moved in the direction of Master’s colleagues.
The guides had come across a pride of lions that had killed a wildebeest. Two enormous male lions, three or four females, and a few cubs were all in our count. The rest of the pride was spread out in the grass waiting for their time to eat because one of the males had claimed the carcass completely for himself and would not let any other lions near it, not even the cubs.
Off-road driving is permitted by the community that manages the Concession so that tour operators and visitors can approach their sightings up close. We had surrounded the lions in a semicircle with the other vehicles.
After a little while, I was getting ready to go when one of the guides suddenly yelled “Impala, impala” and then “Wild dogs, wild dogs”; at that moment, two wild dogs were pursuing a lone impala at full speed while completely unaware of the dangers that lay ahead of them. The adult lions squatted into their attack stances in a matter of seconds. The lions’ sights were fixed completely on the dogs, disproving expectations that they would attempt to kill the impala. And as expected, the dominant dog charged head-on into the pride. He was clearly no match for the lions; fortunately, one of the large males overpowered him, and the second dog was able to slow down and make off with its prey.
All one could hear for about a minute was the noises made by the animals in front of us. They left their human audience in a state of shock because none of us, not even the seasoned tour guides, had ever seen anything even substantially comparable. And even then, it wasn’t over. I observed the dog was still moving even though everyone around me believed it to be dead.
The lions didn’t pay much attention to their enemy, though, and instead of completely eliminating the dog, they dispersed once more. The dog took advantage of their negligence and fled! The majority of us were pleased since, after all, it is only natural to root for the underdog (in this instance, literally). However, my daughter expressed a small amount of sympathy for the lion who had allowed the dog to flee.
We spent the rest of the day trying to find the miraculous survivor. Our guide, Master, was certain it had passed away, but I wasn’t yet prepared to give up. And sure enough, at around six o’clock, it returned to the den, limping. Some of the bite marks that the lions had left behind are visible upon close inspection.
Three additional nights were spent in Khwai. We had began to refer to him as “sick guy” during this time since he would never leave the den area. The other pack members would make an effort to feed him scraps of their kills, but “sick guy” would refuse to even eat. On our return journey to Khwai a year later, our guide informed us that the dog had lived for a few more weeks before passing away.
Three years and six African safaris later, it remains Kira and I’s and my finest animal sighting ever.