In the dry season of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, a young elephant was in a difficult situation.
Separated from its herd, the vulnerable elephant became the target of a lion cub preparing to attack.
The event unfolded near a watering hole, where animals had gathered due to the arid conditions. Brent Staplekamp, a photographer and conservationist working with Oxford’s WildCRU, captured the harrowing images during a research trip to Zimbabwe.
As the lion cub approached, the young elephant struggled to escape its grip. While lions usually avoid attacking fully grown elephants, they are more likely to target younger elephants who have strayed from their herd during hunts.
“The elephant sensed something was wrong and tried to chase the lion before turning and fleeing,” Staplekamp recounted.
One of the images shows the lion digging its claws into the helpless elephant, bringing it down. The dry season had drawn numerous elephants to the watering hole, making them more susceptible to predator attacks.
“The lion caught the young elephant and brought it down before a lioness came to assist,” Staplekamp noted, describing the fatal encounter.
During this hunting session, the pride reportedly killed a buffalo and a warthog, although their attempts to bring down giraffes were unsuccessful.
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