[imagesource: Latest Sightings]

Never has the saying “out of the frying pan into the fire” been more applicable.

During a recent trip to the Kruger National Park, Angela and Craig Weeks witnessed a pretty extraordinary sequence of events, with a young impala battling for its life against a crocodile.

According to Latest Sightings, the couple was watching a herd drinking at a roadside pond formed due to heavy rains, when a crocodile shot from the water and gripped the youngster:

“A struggle ensued for about 2 minutes, but the impala was able to break free and jump out of the water. The impala herd had been alarm calling really loudly during the impala-crocodile struggle, which is basically a call for food for any predator in the area, as something most likely has just been caught. This time, a nearby Leopard heard the alarm calls and came to see if it meant a free meal for it.”

“The Leopard spots the impala in the water and doesn’t have to wait long. As the unlucky impala escaped the croc, it was ambushed and caught by the leopard.”

A case of teamwork makes the dream work, although the leopard did then drag the impala up a tree, leaving the crocodile empty-handed.

Video footage captured by the couple does a good job of showing the drama unfold:

[source:latestsightings]