The animal got into trouble after escaping in a panic and ended up in even deeper water. An impala was being chased by a pack of wild dogs when it ran towards the river in an effort to find safety. As the desperate impala swam through the water, it found itself in the path of two huge hippos, one of which bit the helpless animal.
One of the powerful animals clamped its jaws around the impala, before both rushed at its body to try to drown it.
After being thrown into the water, the lucky antelope was able to escape the huge vegetarians and return to dry land.
Professional wildlife photographer Hannes Lochner, 43, captured the images in the Khwai River in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in July last year.
He said: “This is the kind of scene I love to capture.
“It was a great story to watch unfold and I was relieved that it came to a happy ending.
“I don’t think this type of event has been captured before. It’s certainly not something you see every day.
“After its fight, the impala was left with only a bite on its leg,” said South African photographer Hannes, who captured the images after witnessing a group of impalas being chased by a pack of wild dogs. Unfortunately, another antelope was killed by a crocodile in the river, while one managed to escape unharmed. An hour earlier, another impala had tried to flee into the water, but was eventually drowned and killed by the hippos.
