A fearless lioness lunged at a crocodile to defend her cubs and a hard-earned meal.

Leanne Santana was watching from Kambaku River Lodge, South Africa, while two lionesses feasted on a waterbuck they had just killed along with their four babies.

Tense footage captured an opportunistic crocodile as it sidled up to the big cats in a brazen attempt to steal their meal.

Despite the lion dragging the carcass further away, the ravenous reptile followed them until one of the females lunged head-on at the scavenger, eventually driving it away.

Leanne, the owner of Kambaku Lodge, said: “My adrenaline was pumping as my guests and I were petrified that the crocodile might catch one of the small cubs. This all happened right in front of the lodge, which is on the banks of the Crocodile River looking into the Kruger National Park.
The lionesses had killed a waterbuck and were feeding on the kill with four young lion cubs. Being by the river, there are always crocodiles around".

She added: "Fortunately, the lioness managed to fight off the crocodile and scared it away from her cubs and their food. It is uncommon to see lions and crocodiles interact like this. Crocodiles stay mainly in the river, but they do pray on whatever comes to drink at the water’s edge.”

A fearless lioness lunged at a crocodile to defend her cubs and a hard-earned meal.

Leanne Santana was watching from Kambaku River Lodge, South African, while two lionesses feasted on a waterbuck they had just killed along with their four babies.

Tense footage captured an opportunistic crocodile as it sidled up to the big cats in a brazen attempt to steal their meal.

Despite the lion dragging the carcass further away, the ravenous reptile followed them until one of the females lunged head on at the scavenger, eventually driving it away.

Leanne, owner of Kambaku Lodge, said: “My adrenaline was pumping as my guests and I were petrified that the crocodile might catch one of the small cubs.

“This all happened right in front of the lodge, which is on the banks of the Crocodile River looking into the Kruger National Park.

“The lionesses had killed a waterbuck and were feeding on the kill with four young lion cubs. Being by the river, there are always crocodiles around.

“Fortunately, the lioness managed to fight off the crocodile and scared it away from her cubs and their food.

“It is uncommon to see lions and crocodiles interact like this. Crocodiles stay mainly in the river, but they do pray on whatever comes to drink at the water’s edge.”