Two lions maul and play with a baby antelope for 20 minutes before they eventually kill the terrified animal in harrowing footage filmed from less than 100 feet away.
Photographer Lee-Anne Robertson captured the lion and a lioness batting their prey with their paws and licking its body as the helpless creature squealed in Addo Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
In the footage, the male lion first chases the kudu antelope, tapping the creature’s hind with its huge paw.
Video: Heart-breaking moment lions chase down a baby antelope
The footage then cuts to show the male and female lion leaning over the wriggling creature who makes a sudden bid for freedom.
But the lioness swiftly pounces, trapping the kudu on the ground before licking its back. The clip again cuts to show the creature trying to make another break for it.
The lioness opens its jaw around the kudu’s back, but instead of biting down, the lioness gently licks it.
The male lion then pats its prey’s ear with one paw and strokes the terrified animal’s head.
The animal tries to run away yet again and this time the two predators are ready to tuck in.
The lion bites one of the kudu’s hind legs as the lioness turns her attention to its shoulders.
With the kudu hanging limply from its jaw, the lion walks with its prey before dumping it on the grass.
Photographer Ms Robertson, 50, said she thought the lions were hoping the kudu’s mother would respond to its cries during the 20-minute ordeal and they would be able to catch her too.
Ms Robertson said: ‘I was watching the pair of lions and after some time they got up, crossed the road in front of me and headed for some thick bush.
‘I thought that was the end of the sighting and they were going to find some shade to sleep.
‘Suddenly I saw some movement and a kudu calf came charging out the bush with the male lion running behind her.
‘I realised there was going to be a kill so, still driving, I grabbed my camera and began to shoot and drove closer to where the lion and kudu were running, hence the wobbly beginning to my video.
‘They pinned the baby kudu down and just kept it in that position, I think they were hoping the desperate mother would hear the distressed calls and come close enough for them to try and catch the mother too.’
Ms Robertson believes the lions are siblings which were orphaned at a very young age.
She added: ‘The baby tried a few times to escape and each time the lions would pounce on it, licking it and pawing it but not killing it.
‘This went on for about twenty minutes.’
‘It was hard to watch as I felt sorry for the baby kudu. I decided to document it as it happened as I realised, as a wildlife photographer, a moment in the bush is never repeated.
‘But my gut feeling was that there was to be no lucky escape. I knew the baby would be eaten.’
Kudu’s Afrikaans name translates to ‘part zebra, part deer’ and, like many antelopes, they tend to be solitary creatures.
Ms Robertson added: ‘Lions are apex predators and while some may find this disturbing, we must also marvel at their ability to hunt, to find prey, hide and wait for the perfect moment and work as a team to bring down prey.
‘I think their ability to do this is remarkable.’
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