- Terrified impala dives into waterhole as a last-ditch attempt at survival
- As the antelope begins to sink lower in the water the situation looks bleak
- The buck resurfaces after the hippo chomps down and forces it below water
This impala was relentlessly chased down by a pack of African hunting dogs in the open savannah but found a place of refuge – a waterhole occupied by a very grumpy hippo.
Given no odds of survival on land as the dozen or so dogs closed in for the kill, its only option was to take a chance in the water with a 3,500lb hippo that was having a bad day.
A Mexican standoff went on as the 60lb dogs, which are feared across the African plains, settled down to wait for the hippo to chase it out of its territory and into their waiting jaws.
Stuck between a hunting dog and a hippo: The buck does not appear to have any way out of the tricky situation
Two against one: Things are not looking so optimistic for the impala as it desperately tries to escape both predators
The buck tries to avoid the hippo’s jaws as it chases a bird out of the watering hole but the hunting dogs that are waiting at the edge creep closer
The impala moves away from the advancing hippo towards the bank as it chases a bird out of the waterhole but the patient hunting dog edges forwards sensing their chance.
The terrified impala retreats into deeper water but moves too close to the hippo who opens its giant jaws and looks to have clamped down on the antelope and forced it underwater.
Incredibly the buck emerges through thick green weed unhurt and alive, and tries to exit the water again but the hunting dog outflanks it and pushes it back into deeper water.
The hippo approaches the impala, which is struggling to stay above water
The hippo flashes a warning at the impala, opening its huge mouth wide as it closes in
In a bid to escape the African hunting dogs the impala retreats back into the middle of the waterhole and straight into the path of the hippo
The buck has no time to react before the hippo wraps its jaw around its neck and drags it below the water’s surface
The tourists who filmed the scene in the wilds of Kenya posted it on the national park website Maasai mara Sightings.
As the impala settles down in the water looking exhausted a male voice says ‘the impala is getting lower and lower’ and a woman replies ‘I think that it’s going to drown’.
As the sun sets the dogs keep their eyes on their prey and the hippos looks on as well.
But fortunately, as darkness falls the hunting dogs suddenly exit the waterhole leaving the impala an escape route which it gratefully takes and manages to return safely to its herd.
Patience and playing the waiting the game meant the impala lived to face a new dawn.