Escaping the jaws of a crocodile comes at a price for this young zebra in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. Uploaded to the Latest Sightings YouTube channel, this incredible video clip shows the young animal fighting to free itself from the crocodile's grip and eventually succeeding – but it does not emerge not unscathed. (Be warned, the footage is graphic.)

Tourists at the park were watching a herd of zebras drinking at a dam when the crocodile lunged out of the shallows and latched onto the front leg of the young animal. As if one croc wasn’t enough, a second soon emerged, possibly alerted by the commotion in the water. Though it initially appeared as though the zebra’s fate was sealed, after a few tense minutes, it managed to pull free, hobbling back to the safety of the herd.

We’re not sure how this story ended, but a visible limp and lacerations to the zebra’s leg raise some doubt as to how long the animal would be able to survive in the wild.

Nile crocodiles are ambush predators with an extremely powerful bite force and sharp, cone-shaped teeth, making it almost impossible for prey to break free from their grip. Although crocs can catch and eat larger mammals, zebras and other antelope do not make up the majority of their diet. Instead, they prefer to feed predominantly on fish.

Top header image: Peter Nijenhuis/Flickr