WATCH: Wild dog plays dead to escape lioness

In an extremely unusual event at Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, tourists were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime sighting when a lioness attacked a pack of wild dogs.

The big cat spotted the pack, which had caught and eaten a kudu earlier that day, in the Chris pan. According to Latest Sightings, the lioness was nursing cubs not too far from the area and took the opportunity to hunt.

The female stalked and managed to catch one of the dogs, much to the surprise of the human onlookers. The dog instantly appeared to become lifeless in the lioness’s jaws and the viewers presumed it was dead.

The lioness held on to the dog for a considerable amount of time, when a member of the wild dog pack sprung on her from behind, attacking her. As she released the captured dog from her jaws to defend herself, it sprung back to life and made its escape. It seemed disorientated before disappearing from view.

Lightest Sightings has confirmed that the two dogs were both unharmed in the end. The dog who played dead, dubbed ‘Notch’, is alive and doing well – this is especially a relief as he is the alpha male of the pack.