Hippos save wildebeest from battle with crocodile in South Africa's Kruger national park

Mervyn Van Wyk and his wife, Tokkie captured the incident in South Africa's Kruger National Park

Wildlife watchers have captured extraordinary footage of two hippos apparently saving a wildebeest from the clutches of a crocodile.

The scene unfolded in South Africa's Kruger National Park as 72-year-old Mervyn Van Wyk and his wife Tokkie, were taking pictures of grazing herds of wildebeest, zebra and impala.

At one point a huge crocodile locked its jaws onto the hind leg of a wildebeest and tried to drag it into the water.

"This began a game of tug of war that lasted for around eight minutes," Mr Van Wyk said in a YouTube post. "You could see the exhaustion that the poor wildebeest was experiencing. I then noted what I thought were more crocodiles approaching but then saw it was actually two hippos.

"The hippos approached the scene cautiously and then suddenly sprang onto the croc forcing him to release his grip on the wildebeest. This amazingly allowed the wildebeest a chance to escape even though he had a broken hoof."

Despite its lucky escape, the animal's broken leg will likely doom it to an early death.

Mr Van Wyk added: "While this might seem that the hippos were rescuing the wildebeest, it is most probably hippos showing territorial behaviour.

"Hippos don't like sharing their turf and might have seen the wildebeest as an intruder."