Although the African lion is the king of the animals, this intrepid little turtle shows no fear. A pair of lions that ventured to take water from its drinking hole have left the small critter unimpressed and unafraid. The brave turtle lets the lions know who’s in charge in a now-viral video.
A pair of thirsty lions (a male and a female) approached a waterhole in the MalaMala Private Game Reserve in South Africa, causing the drama. However, they quickly discovered that they are not welcome…the hard way. A turtle, one of the waterhole’s denizens, scared them away in spectacular fashion.
Reggi Barreto, a photographer and safari guide, captured the scene on camera. “I knew the lions would search for water to drink,” he told LatestSightings.com, “and we positioned ourselves in the best area with the sun in our favor, ready for the sighting, but we absolutely did not expect what followed next.”
Even though they were thousands of times bigger, the two lions had to think twice when confronted by the courageous turtle. The small one’s perseverance paid off in the end, but only after the lions had satisfied his thirst. Even Barreto was taken aback by the scene. He remarked, “It was an exceedingly unusual sighting for me to film.”
You can see the epic moment in the video below: