A dramatic video has emerged from South Africa of a hippo charging a pride of lions.

In the clip, which was filmed on July 15 in Pilanesberg Game Reserve, the pride, including several cubs, rests by a dam when suddenly the hippo comes rushing out of the water with its mouth wide open.

The lions hold their ground but when the hippo charges again, they decide to move on.

In times of drought, Hippos can become quite stressed and as a result becomes more aggressive.Hippos often leave the safety of the water when food is scarce and they then feed far from the relative safety of the water. They willl attack anything standing in their way to the safety of the water which is either a river or a dam.
In this case, the Lions got to close to the Hippo allready in the water.
"We were on safari in Pilanesberg Game Reserve in NW South Africa. The lions were resting along the side of Mankwe Dam in the center of the park. In addition to the angry hippo, there were also at least 1-2 crocodiles swimming near the shoreline". - Jennifer