A couple of lionesses got more battle than they bargained for when they encountered a Roan antelope in South Africa’s Kruger National Park recently.

Seizing the opportunity to secure a rather sizeable meal, the two lions attacked the antelope, but the giant beast proved it wasn’t going down without a fight. The ensuing battle was filmed by safari-goer Sandro Geyser, who had been observing the lions with the rest of his party that day.

Roan antelope are among the largest antelope species in Africa – standing nearly 5 feet tall at shoulder height. They can weigh upwards of 600 pounds, with males being generally larger and heavier than females.  

Within their herds, dominant males can also be quite aggressive, fighting off rivals with their giant, scimitar-shaped horns.

Lions are no stranger to large prey, though. Hunting in groups, they regularly take down large animals like buffalo and giraffe — and occasionally, they even go after hippos (although that rarely ends well.)

In this particular encounter, the lions do manage to get the better off the antelope. While the resilient creature kept getting back up, the persistent predators repeatedly sank their teeth and claws into the animal’s haunches, doing some serious damage. Eventually, the antelope’s injuries proved to be too grave.

“By the time we had to leave late afternoon both the roan and lions were lying in the shade, mere meters away from each other. It seemed as if there was a truce between them,” Geyser told Latest Sightings.

“We returned to the scene the next morning, but didn’t see anything. I am of the opinion that the roan died somewhere during the night, but no one knows for sure. One can only assume what happened in the end.”

Geyser, who was lucky enough to witness this dramatic scene playing out less than 15 meters away from their car, described a surreal experience:

“I have been privileged to see many rare animal sightings and behaviors throughout Southern Africa, but this tops the list as the most touching and memorable sighting. Almost as if there was an emotional connection”.

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