WATCH: Lions vs crocodile – Brutal battle over elephant prize caught on camera

THIS is the jaw-dropping moment a family captured rare footage of a brutal battle between a crocodile and three lions at a Kenya game reserve.

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Tourist Kai Banks was on safari in Samburu National Reserve with his family when he shot the violent stand-off between a male lion, two lionesses and the enormous reptile.

The warring beasts were spotted fighting over the carcass of a dead elephant.

But the meat wasn’t an easy catch for any of the predators, as shown in this viral video.

Life can be tough – even when you’re at the top of the food chain – because as soon as both the croc and lions spotted their prey, they began to eye up the competition.

It might seem the solitary crocodile had the upper hand as he bravely bares his enormous jaws (along with their sets of razor-sharp teeth) at the lion, but it is hardly a fair fight when two other ferocious cats join the fray.

In the scenes that follow, a second duel – which Mr Banks caught on stills because of “technical issues” – reveals how the crocodile is persistent but weakening as three against one proved to be insurmountable odds.

Gnawing at his snout and biting his tail, the lions dominated the croc as they piled on top of him.

As the battle came to a crippling end for the ancient reptile, the lion who picked the fight stood victorious over his rival as his family claimed the elephant prize.

Commenting on his YouTube video, Mr Banks wrote: “My family and I managed to catch an extremely rare event on camera during our recent trip to the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.

 

“We knew it was something special when our guide’s mouth dropped open as soon as the lions jumped onto the crocodile. Take a look!

“Many thanks to the beautiful Saruni Samburu lodge and to our incredible guide, Sambara.”