Tourists at a wilderness reserve in South Africa witnessed a tense confrontation this week between wild dogs and klipspringers, which are a type of dwarf antelope.
The accompanying footage, shared to Facebook by MalaMala Game Reserve, shows several dogs surrounding three klipspringers that had positioned themselves just out of harm’s way on a nearly sheer rock face.
“This was a real ‘cliffhanger’ of a sighting but these klipspringers had played the game before,” MalaMala wrote. “They remained calm and stuck to their game plan – despite coming within inches of death.”
Viewers will note how still the klipspringers remain as one dog approaches within sniffing range of the closest klipspringer. The dog repeatedly backs off for fear of falling.
ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Video shows angler bailing as ice shanty is suddenly towed at high speed
It was not clear how long this confrontation lasted but the klipspringers were said to have survived.
Klipspringers, which weigh between 20 and 40 pounds, are incredibly nimble and swift, and spend most of their lives in rock formations known as kopjes.
They “spring” from rock to rock as they browse edible vegetation, but are capable of standing motionless, even on sheer faces, for hours.