This is the moment a hungry crocodile gatecrashed two lions’ midnight feast – causing the African killers to clash over the carcass of a dead buffalo.
Photographed by 30-year-old Italian honeymooner Davide Chiossi in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, the dramatic images show the massive reptile approach a pair of big cats and attempt to muscle in on their dinner.
And despite being outnumbered two to one, the crocodile more than held his own against the pair of adult males, refusing to give up the feast without a fight – albeit getting one of the lion’s claws embedded in its head in the process.
Mind if I join you? Hungry crocodile gatecrashed two lions’ midnight feast – causing the African killers to clash over the buffalo carcass
Unwelcome guest: The massive crocodile can be seen lurking in the background while the lions tuck into the dinner
Dropping in for tea: The massive reptile approach a pair of big cats and attempting to muscle in on their midnight feat
Fighting back: Despite being outnumbered two to one, the crocodile more than held his own against the pair of adult males
Italian videographer Davide was on his honeymoon in September 2014 when he witnessed the extraordinary incident.
He said: ‘We stopped for the sunset break and on the other side of a small lake we spotted the two lions and the crocodile.
‘Later in the evening when we went closer the first lion woke up and after drinking some water start eating the buffalo…Little by little the crocodile went closer, trying to defend the carcass from the lions.
‘When one of the lions came too close to the croc, the two of them had a scuffle – and it looked like the lion got one of his claws wedged into the croc’s head.
‘After that the crocodile just stayed there, and the lions continued to eat as if nothing had happened.
‘The guide told us that this was a once in a lifetime event – we were very lucky.’
The lions were happily eating the freshly killed buffalo beside a small lake in the Kruger National Park when the crocodile appeared
Scuffle: When one of the adult male ions came too close to the crocodile, the massive reptile tried to attack him
Fighting for dinner: Although the crocodile was determined to muscle in on the dinner, the lions remained remarkably unfazed
The images emerged just one week after photographs also taken in the Kruger National Park showed two lions bringing down and savaging an antelope just inches from the cars of stunned tourists.
Briton Carolyn Dunford, 23, who is completing an internship at Kruger National Park, South Africa, captured the bloody drama early Friday morning along with wide-eyed nature-lovers – some watching the spectacle with their windows wide open.
It is only two months since american Katherine Chappell, 29, was dragged through the window of a car by a lion at The Lion Park near Johannesburg.
Miss Dunford, a biology graduate from Romsey, Hampshire, was taking an early morning drive through the park – one of the largest game reserves in Africa – when she came across the rare scene and pulled out her camera.
Gruesome: Despite holding its own in the battle for the buffalo, the crocodile got one of the lion’s claws embedded in its head
Three’s a crowd:The hungry crocodile attempts to steal the pair of adult lions’ dinner
Famished: Following the scuffle, the crocodile stayed at the scene while the lions continued to eat as if nothing had happened
Safari: The photographs were taken by 30-year-old Italian honeymooner Davide Chiossi in South Africa’s Kruger National Park