Crocodiles have been roaming this planet for so long due to their built-in body armor, advanced hunting skills, and lack of predators. These animals are experts on how to find food as they hide in plain sight.
A video on Twitter shows us just how jaw-dropping these apex predators are when it comes to hunting. The footage starts seemingly innocently. Three adorable gazelles are walking in murky water.
The water is lapping slightly due to a light breeze, making it even easier for a crocodile to stay hidden. Within seconds, the reptile leaps out of the water and takes one of the gazelles down by its head!
Your jaw will drop with the absolute force the croc employs. These animals stalk their prey covertly while hunting from the water. Some crocs wait for animals to come near the water's edge to drink or cool off, as we see in this video.
Large mammals like zebras, lions, and people can be killed and eaten by a crocodile, though they rarely attack humans. After capturing its meal, a crocodile will pull it into the water and drown it before eating.
These ancient animals also use something unique experts call a death roll. This can happen on land or under the water. Once the crocodile has its prey in its mouth, it will rapidly flip the body until the animal becomes so disoriented.
This makes it easier for the crocodile to drown the prey before consuming them.
Gazelles must be agile and stealthy in order to survive as prey animals. They are also remarkably nimble creatures. Despite moving at high speeds, they can't outrun many land predators, but their ability to jump allows them to escape.
Gazelles can jump in a unique way where all four limbs are off the ground at the same time. That being said, a gazelle could easily outrun a crocodile on land. Had the precious animal not been in or around the crocodile's home, it may still be alive today!
Sometimes, gazelles with horns will fight by dropping their heads and charging at a predator. They will also do this when sparring with a fellow gazelle. While a gazelle has the ability to cause damage with its horns, its instincts teach it that they have a better chance of staying alive by running rather than fighting.
In the footage below, you can see just how fast the other two gazelle run when the crocodile attacks their friend. If you look closely, you can see a second crocodile suddenly appear!
The post Clueless Gazelle Wanders Into Croc-Infested Waters. Vanishes in Mere Seconds appeared first on AZ Animals.