Baby hippo attacks hungry lion in attempt to save mother stuck in muddy quagmire

Desperate calf roars at lion in attempt to protect its mother

A hippo stuck in the mud and near death is too good an opportunity to miss for a lion (Hanno Erasmus/SWNS)

A baby hippo has been photographed trying to save its mother from a hungry lion after she became mired in a muddy bog.

The desperate calf can be seen roaring at the lion during the stand-off as it circled the stricken pair into the night.

The scene was photographed by Hanno Erasmus at Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa.

In the end the mother hippo died of dehydration,, and her calf died from the same condition two days later.

Usually an adult hippo is too big a target for a lion, with their calves being more vulnerable.

Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves.

It has a high density of wild animals, including the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffaloes.

SWNS