iStockphoto / Ondrej Prosicky
A recent encounter between baboons and lions in the MalaMala Game Reserve in the northeast corner of South Africa has gone viral.
Filmed by MalaMala Game Reserve guide Mike Botes, a troop of baboons can be seen cleverly evading a pride of hungry lions by hiding out underneath a bridge.
The bridge goes over the Sand River which runs right through the MalaMala Game Reserve. Upon seeing the lions closing in on them, the troop of baboons climbed underneath and moved around in relative silence as the eager pride of lions could smell them but were unable to see them.
The game guide told Latest Sightings about the encounter. Saying “the warm sun was just so good that they lost focus and did not see the lions approaching. I instantly saw what was happening and decided to veer off to the side and watch from down below.”
Adding “The lions strolled onto the bridge with not a care in the world. As for the baboons, it was too late. They let out screeches and alarm calls, alerting every mammal and bird in the vicinity.”
“The baboons scrambled, and it was havoc. Unfortunately, surrounded and unable to outrun the lions, the baboons had to think on their feet to survive.”
It was then the baboons hid underneath the bridge so as to avoid becoming an easy meal for the lions. After that, it was a matter of who could wait the longest and eventually the lions got bored of waiting around and went about their business.