Crocodile's dirty trick

The young impala was born in South Africa's Kruger National Park, where a recent drought has left the animals struggling to find enough water. 

Wildlife photographer Karen van Damme, 53, from Johannesburg, was on hand to photograph the devastating moment that the youngster finally found something to drink - but was not quick enough to escape the crocodile lurking beneath the water's surface.

She said:'The animals are very thin because they have dropped their new babies but there is not green grass to feed on, and the rivers have diminished to large puddles - a series of small waterholes.

'The crocodiles all congregate in these large puddles and the animals need to be very wary when they are drinking due to there being so many crocs. These crocodiles made a few unsuccessful attempts to catch an impala, and the impala explode into the air with fright at each attempt.

'We had been watching from a distance for about four hours before they managed to catch anything. A baby impala that was inexperienced went too far into the water to drink and did not recognize the nearby crocodile.

'A bigger croc waited for the impala to relax and then managed to catch it by the hind leg. The croc dragged the impala into the water and tried to drown it by rolling it and pulling it under into the muddy water.

'The crocs in the nearby waterholes all flocked to the croc with the impala and there was a fight over the baby impala. The croc then managed to leave the water hole with his kill and escape to the nearby waterhole to eat in peace.

'I felt really sorry for the thirsty impalas as the temperatures there were going well into the 40C range. The impala were literally trying to dodge between crocs to drink and the crocs kept changing their position to try outwit the impala.

'After an unsuccessful attempt by the croc, the impala would go back to the spot and lean towards the croc top see what it was. The mother of the dead baby was bleating and calling for her baby.

'I was amazed at how curious the impala were as they went straight back to the spot where the croc leapt out at them, to have a better look at what the croc was.'

(www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403671/Moment-hungry-crocodile-leaps-water-catch-baby-impala-quenching-thirst-scorching-heat.html?ito=social-facebook)