A spotted hyena chases a wildebeest on a cliff in the Maasai Mara. | Latest sightings/Michael Laubscher
KEY POINTS
- Footage shows how a hyena chasing a wildebeest ended up following it off a cliff in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.
- The spotted hyena is the largest extant species of hyena, which are known to be scavengers but can also hunt almost as well.
- The predator in question was outmatched by the wildebeest in the water, despite briefly catching up with it on shore.
“The herd realised they were under attack and chaos broke out, with the wildebeest running in all directions. Getting caught in a stampede can be dangerous for predators and the hyenas knew this.”
The hyena in question decided to chase one of the wildebeest away from the rest of the herd, leading to a chase that ended up in the direction of the cliff edge.
His only options were: fight the hyena or lead the chase towards the cliff. The antelope took off over the cliff.
The hyena followed suit and the wildebeest slowed down due to the impact, which left him stunned for a moment.
The chase was almost over when the hyena caught up, seemingly dominating the prey for a moment before it regained its balance and ran straight into the water.
The wildebeest immediately turned to check if the hyena was following it, but fortunately for the hoofed animal, it had given up the chase.
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