Usually in the animal kingdom it’s the parents that fight off the predators whilst the youngsters look on, which might be why this role reversal video from the Kruger Park is racking up serious views.

The first thing you should know is that parts of the park are currently experiencing severe drought, and as a result competition for resources has become pretty intense.

How this hippo came to be lying on the ground is not known, but it’s clear that the mother (lying on the ground to the right in the video) is in pretty bad shape.

The youngster is far more sprightly, and refuses to let the lion nip in and take advantage of the situation. Watch the battle for yourself:

Not quite the happy ending you were hoping for, I would guess, but here’s something that might cheer you up.

This video was posted yesterday, and shows a lone porcupine defeating the famous Kruger S100 mega pride of lions. You’ll also see a sighting of the rare white lion thrown in for good mix.

[source:youtube]