Mother Nature put on a spectacular show when a powerful python killed an impala and caught the undivided attention of a baboon. Safari goer Neil Rosewall was at the right place at the right time to witness the spectacle in the Kruger National Park.
‘This happened about 12km from Lower Sabie at the junction of the S79. It was late afternoon and we were watching a troop of baboons and a herd of Impala feeding when the python caught the Impala,’ says Rosewall.
He added that it was a simply thrilling experience. ‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting. Been going for 60 years, and this was the first time that I saw something like this.’
The baboon did not seem fazed by the large snake at all, and even glanced over its shoulder as if annoyed that a human would also try to get a glimpse of the action.
Take a look:
Pythons seize their prey with their teeth and then wrap their body around it, squeezing until the victim suffocates. These snakes are known to catch prey that far outweigh themselves, and large pythons can easily kill adult humans with their powerful constrictors.
Pictures: Neil Rosewall
