Known as the King of Beasts, it is not often a lion comes across another predator fearful enough to make it flee for its life.
But one male was turned into a big scaredy cat it Botswana after spotting a crocodile while out swimming, with a photographer perfectly capturing the expression of horror on his face.
The up-close snaps, taken at Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, show the lion leisurely wading through the river before he spots the killer croc and jolts in shock.
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Big scaredy cat: A lion jumps in fright while swimming across a river delta in Botswana after spotting a crocodile sitting just feet away
Hairy moment: Photographer Marna Van der Walt, 47, from Johannesburg, South Africa, said the male was attempting to follow a female across the water before getting a fright after spotting the reptile
No pride here: Despite being watched by his lady friend, the male lion scarpered out of the way of the crocodile to the safety of the bank
Danger: While African lions can measure up to 6ft from head to rear and weigh 420lbs, crocodiles grow up to 16ft long and often weigh in excess of 500lbs, making them more than a match for the King of Beasts
Photographer Marna Van der Walt, 47, from Johannesburg, South Africa, said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like that happen before, it was very special.
‘It was unbelievable to see what the big cats can do, and the emotion written on their face was very funny.
‘The lioness had gone into the river to cool down she swam across to the other side, and the male wanted to follow her. There was a croc in the river, but lions aren’t normally afraid of crocodiles, just a bit cautious.
‘The croc was just slyly watching as the lion crossed the river – but the lion wasn’t happy, he was snarling and growling. I’m so grateful I was able to witness this, it was very fulfilling – I can tick it off my bucket list!’
African lions are among the largest cats in the world, measuring up to 6ft long from head to rear – excluding the tail – with males weighing up to 420lbs when fully grown.
However, they are no match for Nile crocodiles, which are one of the oldest species in existence, and can measure almost 16ft long and weigh in excess of 500lbs as adults.
While the crocodiles mostly feed on fish, they will eat almost anything that crosses their path, including people. While a fully grown crocodile may struggle to kill a lion outright, it would be more than capable of delivering a debilitating injury.
Predator becomes prey: While a crocodile’s diet mainly consists of fish, this is largely due to availability rather than choice, and they will happily eat almost anything that crosses their path
Tail between his legs: While a crocodile might struggle to kill a lion outright, they could certainly deal a debilitating injury, especially if the lion is in the water, where they are naturally at home
Pride before a fall: Ms Van der Walt said the lion had been following a female who went into the water to cool off before swimming to the other side, but got into trouble when trying to follow her