- The zebra strayed onto the rocky track as the cyclists hurtled along in a race
- It had peeled off from its herd and careered into the oncoming cyclist’s path
- Luckily it galloped away in a cloud of dust just before shocked rider arrived
Cyclists must always be on the lookout for unexpected hazards on the road – but even the most alert would never anticipate a stray zebra dashing into their path.
These amazing pictures capture the moment a mountain bike rider nearly suffered a catastrophic collision with one of the animals as he raced down a rocky track.
The zebra had peeled off from its herd and careered into the cyclist’s path – but luckily it galloped past in a cloud of dust a split second before the shocked rider arrived, leaving both thankfully unscathed.
The shots were taken in South Africa by photographer Zoon Cronje while he was covering the annual 300-mile Cape Pioneer Trek cycle race.
He said: ‘It was a strange combination of shock and fear of someone getting hurt mixed with the excitement of knowing you are capturing a unique moment. A zebra is a large animal, and at pace it would obliterate a cyclist.’
Cyclists taking part in the Cape Pioneer Trek in South Africa have a close encounter with a rouge herd of zebra
The zebra had peeled off from its herd and careered into the cyclist’s path as hurtled along the track
The animal galloped past in a cloud of dust before the shocked rider arrived