This must be the world's bravest turtle.
The lion is an apex predator and one of the most feared ones living in Africa. If their claws do not rip you up, their teeth and jaws will crush you bones. These big cats make almost anything everything into dinner if they chose to do it. There are plenty of videos out there of other animals giving these predators a wide berth, and it is certainly warranted.
However, every so often, you will see an animal stand up to lions and show no fear of them. Usually, it is one of the large mammals like a hippo, rhino, or elephant.
Today's video shows a very different animal showing no fear of the king of the jungle. It is a tiny turtle living in a muddy waterhole. Apparently, it is an extremely territorial one too because it keeps pestering the lions and nipping at their jaws until the big cats finally leave!
Well, that is something you do not see every day. To be fair, it seems the lions moved on simply because they were annoyed by the turtle's antics rather than being intimidated by it. Still, this must be a contender for the title of "world's bravest turtle." We imagine those big jaws could crack that shell like an egg if they wanted to do it.
This footage was shot by a guide, Reggi Barreto, during a safari in the MalaMala Game Reserve, which is part of Kruger National Park. The group he was leading found the lions on a tip they were eating a baby zeba's carcass nearby.
"It was an incredibly rare sighting for me to film - watching the terrapin approach the lions that had blood on their chins from the zebra," Barreto said in the video's description. "It seems as though the terrapin was actually more interested in getting some of that blood, as opposed to 'chasing the lions away.'"
The world may never know for sure exactly what the turtle's motivations were. It sure makes for a funny and entertaining video though. Thanks for sharing it with the world!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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