This is the harrowing moment a brave baby hippo tries to save its dying mother from a hungry lion after she got stuck in a muddy riverbank.

Desperate calves are seen snarling at prowling lions in a staggered David and Goliath in Kruger National Park in South Africa.

The lion can be seen waiting for its mother hippo to die while its heartbroken calf surrounds her. Realizing that the mother hippo was close to death, the lion decided to move in. Lions don’t tend to target an adult hippopotamus: despite their appearance – large bodies and short, skinny legs – hippos are agile, aggressive, and have very sharp teeth.

However, it seems that the weak hippo that got stuck in the mud and nearly died naturally was an opportunity too good to miss.The lion also didn’t seem to like its chance to fight the calf, and is said to have left the scene after being driven away.

Sadly the story did not have a happy ending. The mother hippo died of dehydration shortly after the pictures were taken. Before taking care of herself, two days later the calf also died from the same condition.

A lion bites an adult hippo in front of a calf.The lion soon learns that the cub may be a cub, but will protect its mother with her dying breath.The calf chased the lion away, but sadly neither the mother nor the cub was able to do so, both died of dehydration within a few days.