In this short video shot by a student at the Camp Fire Academy in Kruger National Park, South Africa, a crocodile misses a meal when it leaps out of the water too soon, leaving its prey – a water fish – escape without injury.
Crocodiles rely on the water to hide their bodies as they drift towards their prey. After locking onto the target using impressive binocular vision, the crocodile will wag its tail in a wave-like motion to propel its body above and out of the water. While hunting at the water’s edge, crocodiles can also use their feet to push off the ground like spring-loaded pistons for quick strikes.
The Nile crocodile (the species featured in the clip) has sharp conical teeth that make it nearly impossible for prey to escape their grip – so the water fish narrowly escaped.
Although crocodiles can capture and eat larger mammals such as water fish and other antelopes, most of their diet is actually made up of fish.
