Recent footage shot by ReWild Africa’s Samuel Chevallier in the vicinity of SoMᴀʟɪsa Camp in Zɪᴍʙᴀʙᴡᴇ’s Hwange National Park is dramatic. In the early morning light, a lioness and her cubs were discovered by Chevallier and his colleagues. Chevallier recalled that they observed for a while as the cubs were playing with each other and then the mother started getting active.
She collected her cubs and slithered into the bushes. Chevallier and his companions guided their cars in pursuit in anticipation of some action. They heard the distinct trumpet of an elephant in distress shortly after the lioness vanished into a bush. The ambitious cat was on top of the elephant when they arrived, making every effort to bring the large prey to the ground.
African giants are often not prey for lions, but elephant calves can become exposed if they travel too far from the safety of their herd. According to Chevallier, the lioness clᴀᴡᴇd into the thick skin of the elephant, hanging on while the elephant struggled to resist the tremendous grip and pull of the lioness. Eventually, the calf was able to shake the large cat loose, and then it charged after the lioness to force her to flee the area.
The cubs were watching as their mother sought to acquire a meal while they were lying in the tall ɢʀᴀss, but after a failed ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ, the mother came to gather the cubs and left in the morning, thankfully unharmed by the encounter.