Watch This Powerful Zebra Dropkick a Chasing Cheetah Right in the Face to Get Away
It’s not often we see a video that we might label Zebra Vs. Cheetah; however, here we are with one where the two are against each other. We normally wouldn’t pit the two against each other because one is the predator and the prey. But, every now and then, we see the underdog coming out on top.
Zebra and Cheetah Sighting in Africa
The next YouTube short video posted at the bottom of this blog post takes us most likely to Africa. Given the landscape and animals present, we assume it takes place in Africa! The Wild Hub YouTube page shared this video. This channel is dedicated to providing footage of animals in the wild, such as elephants, crocodiles, leopards, antelopes, buffaloes, and monkeys, to name a few.
Zebra Vs. Cheetah
©iStock.com/slowmotiongli
At the start of the clip below, we see a cheetah chasing a herd of zebras. If we back up for context, this cheetah was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. We might assume that this cheetah, like the lion, was being stealthy and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. However, this is actually not the case.
The cheetah has a skill that no other animals in the animal kingdom have. He has the fastest speed on land. So, whereas lions will rely on their stealth to approach their prey, the cheetah relies on their ability to run at incredible speeds to chase down their prey.
According to the Dell Cheetah Centre in South Africa, “The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is one of the most graceful members of the cat family, and one of the few cat species which relies on speed instead of stealth when hunting. Cheetahs are in fact the fastest land mammals on Earth, reaching speeds of 110-120 km/h.”
Notice how the zebra herd is running fast, but the cheetah is quickly able to overpower their speed. The zebra he is running alongside knows that he has no luck of outrunning this predator. So, he does the only thing he knows he can do. He chooses to fight. We see the zebra lift out a leg and dropkick the cheetah, which stops the hunt.
How Powerful is a Zebra Kick?
Zebras (Equus zebra, Equus quagga, Equus grevyi), in addition to having a powerful kick, are large mammals. They can weigh anywhere from 386-1,000 pounds and reach 6.6-9 feet in length.
The zebra is thought to have a powerful kick of 3,000 PSI. According to Wildlife Explained, not only do zebras have a strong kick, but they are easily labeled as having one of the strongest kicks in the animal kingdom. “Zebras are considered to be one of the strongest animals in the world when considering their kick force. The strength of their attack can be up to 3,000 PSI.”
Imagine having a kick so powerful that you could kill a lion with just one swift kick. No wonder this cheetah was knocked out of the chase!
