The sad story of zebras begin...
The rest of the zebra herd successfully made it across the river, shepherded by a mature zebra stallion
The zebra herd had to cross the river in order to continue their migration in search of fresh grazing. Operating on the principle that there is safety in numbers, the zebras waited until the herd numbers had swelled to a significant number to make the crossing en masse.
After patrolling the river bank to find the best crossing spot, Captain Courageous swam to the far shore - then bravely returned to the north bank after realising that the rest of the herd had failed to follow his lead after getting spooked by a hippo. However, the herd committed to the second crossing and two distinct lines of animals entered the water, following closely behind each other for safety.
'The crocs had taken up ambush positions in the river above and below the crossing point,' Mike, currently based in Accra, Ghana, said. 'There were a few unsuccessful attempts made by the crocs to grab a zebra and a few extremely close escapes. 'There were also a number of crocs who were certainly trampled under the frenzied hooves of the zebra.'
Most of the animals had completed the crossing when suddenly one of the younger zebra foals lost his footing in the deeper water, drifting from the protection of the line and becoming isolated.
The croc didn't need to wait for an invitation, snapping its powerful jaws over the muzzle and breaking the bones instantly, before dragging the zebra foal beneath the water.
'We felt very helpless and sad to see how a vulnerable young animal can so easily become prey,' Mike added.
...We left in a very sombre mood. The reality of nature can be quite harsh. The zebra were so focused on surviving the crossing amidst the threat of the crocodiles - they just carried on, while the crocodiles went into a complete feeding frenzy - floating downstream and out of sight like a raft.'
Picture: Michael Olsen / Barcroft Media
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