Male lion takes the hit when mate attacks rhino

After the female lion failed to attack the rhino, she left, leaving the male to become the target of the enemy's anger.

(Video: Latest Sightings).

Guide Jordan Davidson was surprised to witness a clash between lions and rhinos in the Sanbona Nature Reserve in South Africa, according to Latest Sightings . The three lions, about 5 years old, including 2 females and a male, were resting at noon. However, the peaceful moment was broken by a rhino wandering in search of fresh grass.

Lions know their limitations, even with three of them, taking down a great white rhino is risky. So the safari guests were excited to see the rhino walk straight towards the lion. The rhino's eyesight is poor, so it probably couldn't see anything far away, but the scent of the lion pride was suspicious to the rhino, so it kept scouting. Eventually, the rhino got so close that one of the lionesses became uncomfortable. She ran away, and now the rhino had a clear view and went on the defensive.

Clash between lions and rhinos.

The other lioness was more opportunistic. As soon as the rhino chased her sister, she prepared her pounce and waited for the right moment. The lioness didn't have to wait long as the rhino quickly decided to circle back. After aiming at the rhino's flank, the lioness realized she had chosen a prey that was too strong. She immediately let go and moved away, leaving the rhino to angrily turn around. By this time, both lionesses had disappeared, leaving only the male lion blocking the rhino's path. The male lion jumped up as soon as the rhino charged forward to charge. Both times the rhino's attacks narrowly missed him. The male lion quickly ran straight into the bushes to escape.

African lions ( Panthera leo ) live mainly in the sub-Saharan region. They are the only cat species in the world that lives in prides and are the second largest in the feline family, after tigers. Adult African lions weigh about 120 - 190 kg, with a body length of 1.4 - 2 m excluding the tail. Male lions protect the territory of the pride, while females are the main hunters. Their prey includes antelopes, zebras and some other animals.