Watch: Warthog shows off its sprinting skills to outpace a pride of lions
It may surprise you to learn that warthogs – those chubby, tusked savannah pigs made famous by Disney’s Pumbaa – are highly accomplished sprinters. They can run upwards of 30 mph (48 km/h) in short bursts – a useful skill when you’re being pursued by a hungry pride of lions.
Travel author Dana Atkinson recently filmed a warthog tearing across a dry river bed in full life-saving sprint mode as it tried to outpace a pride of seven lions.
Atkinson was enjoying a game drive in South Africa’s Kruger National Park when a stopped car alerted her to the presence of a pride of lions.
“Since they [the lions] weren’t doing anything but sleeping and laying around many people came, took pictures and left,” Atkinson explained to Latest Sightings. “I stayed because, through my binoculars, I could see the lioness in the front was watching left and right down the river bed with great intent and I knew if she saw something she was going to begin a hunt.”
Atkinson’s hunch was correct. After an hour or so, the lioness perked up, her gaze fixed on something on the opposite side of the river bank. It was a warthog. The upright hog trotted towards a small pool of water seemingly unaware of the flat cats hiding under the trees nearby. One of the lionesses took the lead and started moving towards the target while the others flanked out in either direction.
With little foliage to offer cover, the lead lioness decided to charge. It was an ambitious move that allowed the warthog plenty of time to put foot. And put foot it did. With impressive acceleration, the warthog bolted across the riverbed and up the bank to safety while the lions put in a half-hearted attempt at pursuit.
Warthogs often retreat to the safety of a burrow which they enter backwards should they need to charge out at marauding predators. In this case it seems that a burrow was not easily accessible, so the speedster opted to outrun its adversaries. Female warthogs typically form matriarchal groups with one or two adult females and their young, so this lone ranger is more likely to be an adult male.