Monitor lizard in deadly stand-off with cobra
On a solo outing at the Kruger National Park, Helen Young witnessed a monitor lizard fighting for its life after a snouted cobra bit it.
Some of the most dramatic and memorable moments on safari can be found in sightings of life-or-death confrontations between animals.
Helen Young was fortunate to witness one such confrontation when, on a solo walk in an area surrounding the Shingwedzi camp at the Kruger National Park, she saw a snouted cobra bite into a monitor lizard's neck.
Helen tells LatestSightings that when she saw the two animals they were very close to her car; the snake was clinging to the lizard. "The lizard showed immense strength as it dragged the snake up the road. I didn’t want to move my car in case I spooked the snake.”
The snouted cobra is known for being highly aggressive, with neurotoxic venom. This makes the lizard's valiant attempts to shake the snake off its neck quite remarkable.
Helen described how the lizard managed to break free from the snake for a few seconds and make a break for it. Unfortunately, this did not last, as the snake went on to bite the lizard in the face.
Monitor lizards are wily creatures but, in this case, the will to live was not strong enough to withstand the venom from the snake's deadly bite.