Lions are one of the most powerful apex predators on Earth, able to take down animals far larger than themselves. That doesn’t mean they’re invincible, however.
In footage captured for BBC’s Kingdom, a pride of lions and their cubs are forced to leave their nursery ground after wildfires rip through the grassland.
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On their way back home to the heart of Nsefu, in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, a stream blocks their path.
And while one of the lionesses appears to be hesitant, one of the cubs is less so – and strikes out on its own.
But the adult lions were right to be cautious, as a hidden predator lurks beneath the water waiting to strike.
Watch the tense footage below.
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Top image: the Nsefu lion pride on the move with their cubs during the wet season. Credit: BBC Studios/Lauren Jackson
