Caught on camera: 22 Lion's strategic Impala hunt captivates wildlife enthusiasts

Wildlife lovers are captivated by a video showing a pride of lions methodically killing a large herd of impala. A medium-sized antelope that inhabits eastern and southern Africa is the impala.

While celebrating her father's 70th birthday aboard a houseboat in Lake Kariba in Matusadona National Park in Zimbabwe, Simeone Lategan, an eyewitness, captured the scene on camera.

The footage was also sent to Latest Sightings, who on March 12 uploaded it to their YouTube channel.

What had appeared to be a hopeful glimpse of animals turned into an exciting demonstration of the strength and accuracy of nature.

Simeone and her family saw an incredible sight while on a boat safari close to Fothergill Island: a pride of 22 lions deliberately pursuing a large herd of impalas.

Narrating the incident, Simeone said, “Our first boat safari yielded buffaloes and elephants, and for us, that was already pretty amazing. But as we were heading back to the main boat, we noticed some movement and activity on Fothergill Island, which was about 500 meters away. It appeared to be lions from the distance, and as we got closer, it became clear! 22 lions hunting a massive herd of impala.”

Divided into two groups, the lions partially encircled the herd, while the remaining lions ambushed the impalas by waiting near the water's edge. As the herd dispersed in all directions, several impalas barely managed to avoid being caught.

The ambush lions were so focused on their prey that they tried to catch impalas midair.

“Luckily for the impala, lions are not as agile as leopards, so catching their prey midair is not that easy. However, one unlucky impala chose the wrong escape path, and things ended very badly for him,” Simeone said.

The impala dashed across the lake in a thrilling chase, almost escaping the first two lions but falling prey to the third's deft jump.

“The lions seemed to, at this point, all lock into one impala, and their attention was focused. The impala thought that it could make a quick escape by running along the water's edge. It picked up speed and ran straight ahead, missing the first and second lions. But when it tried to dodge the third lion, it jumped, and so did the lion,” Simeone added.

The lions swiftly converged on their prey, ensuring a quick feast.

“Before all four of its legs could leave the ground, it was down! And one by one, the lions came running in to have a piece of the meal. A small antelope for 22 lions doesn’t last very long, so they all knew they had to grab what they could while it was still there.” Simeone added.