Role reversal in Maasai Mara: Waterbuck scares off hungry lioness who was lining him up for dinner

Sometimes no matter how loud you roar, it just isn't scary enough, as this African lioness found out in a Kenyan national reserve.
She spotted a waterbuck bathing in the cool water and deciding he was going to make an easy meal, she edged her way up to the side of the pond.
As she approached the brown, antlered animal, he looked up and surprisingly did not back away.

Time for tea: When the African lioness spotted a waterbuck bathing in the cool water, she decided he was going to make an easy meal, and edged her way up to the side of the pond

Bravado: A stony stand-off ensued, with both animals staring at each other, refusing to budge. The suddenly he decided to pounce and charged at the lioness, with his lethal horns first

A stony stand-off ensued, with both animals staring at each other, refusing to budge - the lioness bared her teeth, but the waterbuck put forward his horns.
Suddenly he decided to pounce and charged at the Lioness, with his lethal horns first.

With a split-second pause, she whipped around and sprinted up the grassy bank to safety - although she was lucky not to have been caught on his antlers which can reach up to 40 inches (101cm).
The waterbuck is generally a quiet and sedentary animal, although males do compete for and hold territories as this shaggy-haired animal showed.
Despite its name, the animal is not truly aquatic and does not make tend to spend too much time in water and swamps.
It does, however, take refuge there to escape predators, which may explain why the animal was in the pond in the first place.
The bravado stand off took place in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, which lies about 270 kilometres (167 miles) from the country's capital Nairobi.
The African Lioness was a Panthera Leo and females are usually responsible for most of the hunting, while the male of the species have earned the King of the Jungle title.
They consume a wide variety of prey, from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes even larger beasts such as rhinos and hippos.

Scaredy cat: With a split-second pause, she whipped around and sprinted up the grassy bank to safety - although she was lucky not to have been caught on his antlers which can reach up to 40 inches (101cm)

I'll show you: The waterbuck is generally a quiet and sedentary animal, although males do compete for and hold territories as this shaggy-haired animal showed

Standing his ground: After the African Lioness beat a hasty retreat, the defiant waterbuck stayed in the water