spectacular video has been captured the moment when thousands of wildebeest attempt to make their way across the Mara River in Kenya. The river on the other hand is infested with crocodiles waiting to kill. Before leaping 20 feet into the water, the beasts tumble down the river bank and a cloud of dust kicks up into the air. Most make it to the other side unscathed but some lose their footing breaking their backs and legs when they fall onto the hard ground. The unfortunate ones become the meal of the hungry crocodiles waiting for an easy meal.

59 year old wildlife photographer Robyn Preston said, ‘It was horrifying watching the wildebeest falling to the bottom. Some fell into the river and were either swept away or made it to a sand bank in the middle. From there they were unable to move without crawling along on their front limbs.’ The wildebeests migrate to the grasslands of the Maasai Mara every year by crossing the river. The sheer number of animals forced the migration across the river at this point even though they normally choose an easier crossing. The photographer added, ‘My driver has been in the safari business for many years and said he had never seen anything like it before either. One croc came up and grabbed a calf that had made its way to the sand bank in the middle. It was injured and had no way of escaping the crocks jaws. The calf was still half in the water so was an easy meal. The crocodile dragged it away and drowned it.’

The annual Wildebeest Migration at the Maasai Mara is a natural cycle. It replenishes and renews the grasslands of East Africa.