Animal sighting: Innocent baby impala walks up to male lion – wrong move!

In a turn of events, an innocent baby impala walks up to a male lion and experiences its first – and last – encounter with an apex predator. 

FOR MORE ANIMAL SIGHTING VIDEOS VISIT THE SOUTH AFRICAN WEBSITE

This animal sighting was captured by Sylvie Failletaz while on an early morning game drive near Nyamepi campground, Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.

Click HERE for all the pictures.

MORE ANIMAL SIGHTING VIDEOS

WATCH | LION CUBS SCARED OF CROSSING WATER

WATCH | ELEPHANT LIVES WITH JUST 3 LEGS

WATCH | HONEY BADGER TRIES TO ESCAPE LEOPARD’S GRIP

WATCH | MONKEY TRIES TO EAT CHAMELEON IN PEACE

WATCH | GIRAFFE TRIES TO PROTECT CALF FROM LIONS, HYENAS AND JACKALS

WATCH | BABY RHINO SHOWS OFF HIS DANCE MOVES

WATCH | LEOPARD CATCHES IMPALA AFTER FALLING INTO WATER

WATCH | LEOPARD GOES TO EXTREME HEIGHTS TO RAID EAGLE’S NEST

WATCH | MONITOR LIZARD FIGHTS SNAKE IN VAIN ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE

PICTURES | HYENAS HARRASS HONEY BADGER, BUT IMMEDIATELY REGRET IT!

WATCH | LEOPARD TEACHES CUBS HOW TO CROSS A ROAD

WATCH | HYENA TRIES TO DROWN RIVAL

WATCH | 2 BUFFALOES AND 20 ELEPHANTS NO MATCH FOR 22 LIONS

WATCH | SQUIRREL BATTLES CAPE COBRA TO PROTECT HER YOUNG

PICTURE | WILD DOG CATCHES IMPALA MID-AIR

PICTURES | STORK STICKS HEAD IN MOUTH OF CROCODILE TO GET MEAL BACK

WATCH | LION TRIES ENTERING RESTAURANT FULL OF TOURISTS

WATCH | CORNERED CROCODILE ATTACKS FIVE LIONS

WATCH | HYENA STEALS IMPALA FROM PYTHON

PICTURES | SNAKE SWALLOWS BIRD 3 TIMES ITS SIZE

WATCH | PYTHON CONSTRICTS LEOPARD IN EPIC BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL

WATCH | CROCODILE TRIES FIGHTING OFF MONITOR LIZARDS TO PROTECT EGGS

WATCH | LION STEAL IMPALA KILL FROM 5 CHEETAHS

WATCH | SKUKUZA GOLF COURSE: LIONS KILL GIRAFFE ON THIRD FAIRWAY

WATCH | BUFFALO WALKS INTO LION ON THE HUNT

WATCH | BUFFALO SMASHES INTO SAFARI VEHICLE ESCAPING PRIDE OF LIONS

WATCH | SAME LION, 5 YEARS APART – INCREDIBLE

WATCH | BABOONS STEAL AND GROOM 2 LEOPARD CUBS

WATCH | LION ATTACKS LEOPARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

WATCH | THIS PANGOLIN REALLY LOVES SWIMMING!

WATCH | DEAD HIPPO ‘FARTS’ IN THIS LION’S FACE

WATCH | CRAB TAKES ON A PRIDE OF LIONS

WATCH | SERVAL SURROUNDED BY 4 CHEETAHS – AND SURVIVES!

WATCH | ELEPHANT IN MUSTH CHASES KRUGER PARK TOURISTS

WATCH | IS THIS THE MOST EXCITED BABY RHINO EVER?

WATCH | INCREDIBLE SIGHTING OF RHINO CALF BIRTH

PICTURE | HAWK ATTACKS INJURED OWL

WATCH | KUDU BEING ADMIRED FROM TOURIST’S ROOM GETS CAUGHT BY HYENA

WATCH | BATTLE BETWEEN MOZAMBIQUE SPITTING COBRA AND LIZARD

WATCH | MALE LION ‘RESCUES’ WARTHOG FROM OTHER LIONS

WATCH | IMPALA OUTSMARTS 16 WILD DOGS AND GRUMPY HIPPOS

WATCH | SPRINGBOK DOESN’T SEE LEOPARD BEHIND A TREE

WATCH | BABY ELEPHANT STUCK ON CLIFF GETS HELPING TRUNK

WATCH | PYTHON SLITHERS INSIDE CAR ENGINE IN KRUGER PARK

WATCH | ANGRY ELEPHANT TRAMPLES CROCODILE

WATCH | PORCUPINE SHOWS YOUNG LEOPARD WHO IS BOSS

WATCH | LEOPARD CUB DROPS IMPALA KILL ON ITS MOTHERS HEAD

PICTURES | LUCKY HYENA GETS AWAY WITH ELEPHANT’S FOOT

WATCH | CAPE COBRA BULLIED BY MONGOOSE AND SQUIRRELS

WATCH | WILD DOG FAKES DEATH TO ESCAPE LION

WATCH | BIRDS DESPERATELY PROTECT THEIR CHICKS FROM SNAKE

WATCH | ANGRY BIRDS GANG UP TO ATTACK SNAKE

WATCH | LEOPARD SHOWS NO MERCY WHILE HUNTING SERVAL

WATCH | SOUTHERN AFRICAN PYTHON CLIMBS TREE TO HUNT KINGFISHER

WATCH | CLOSE-UP OF AN INQUISITIVE HIPPO

WATCH | LION WITH HALF A NOSE SPOTTED ON SAFARI IN KRUGER PARK

WATCH | LIONESS AND CUB HAVE TUG-OF-WAR WITH WARTHOG’S HEAD

WATCH | 30+ HIPPOS ATTACK ONE CROCODILE IN TANZANIA

WATCH | PRIDE OF LIONS ATTACK CROCODILE ON LAND

WATCH | LOST CHEETAH CALLING FOR MATE ATTRACTS AGGRESSIVE BABOONS INSTEAD

Failletaz told LatestSightings.com the story.

“The day started out really warm, with early morning temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. Not far from the camp we bumped into two male lions that had eaten an adult impala the night before. They were doing what lions usually do… sleep and laze around.

“After taking a few photos and watching them for a while we decided to wait a little longer. The sun’s rays were starting to peek over the horizon, and it was getting lighter and lighter. With it being such a hot morning, we were hoping that the lions would get hot in the sun and move into the shade – that way we could see something else other than sleeping lions.

“Then suddenly and unexpectedly, a baby impala started wandering around and ran straight towards the male lion. I was thinking no, no, no, go away, wrong move! We could not believe that the baby impala actually walked up to a male lion. I really thought the impala would turn around as soon as it realised there was danger, but it didn’t. The baby seemed so lost and so innocent, it clearly didn’t know what the lion was. It was most probably its first and last encounter.

“It came right beside the sleeping lion and nearly touched it. I was hoping it would run away when it realised it wasn’t mummy. We were hoping the lion wouldn’t be interested in such a little snack considering he had eaten the day before.

“The lion slowly lifted its head and looked at the baby impala. Then he swiftly sat up, with this extremely funny look on its face, like: hang on, what did I see? Am I dreaming? Food has come to me? I love the face, the ‘cartoon eyes’.

“Then the action started, it happened so fast! The male lion seemed very slow at the start, but then put in some effort and caught the baby impala who didn’t stand a chance. I couldn’t get the angle to follow the chase because our car was turned around and facing the wrong way. I, unfortunately, had the wrong lens on my camera as well, so I missed the action and felt quite disappointed. However, I did capture a few shots that tell the story of what happened.

“It was the first time witnessing a chase from start to finish! I felt very lucky and privileged to see such a sighting in the wild during the day with such nice lighting. However, I felt sorry for the super cute baby impala. I would have loved a happy ending for it, but unfortunately, it wasn’t his day. Nature can be cruel and there are no rules in the wild.”