Tokyo Olympics inspire wild Animal Olympics from South Africa

Latest Sightings from Kruger National Park in South Africa produces amazing videos of wildlife throughout the year, but this week it might have topped itself with a compilation of various “sports” played by wildlife in what it called the Animal Olympics.

Inspired by the Tokyo Olympics, Latest Sightings gives us a view of how the Olympics would look for wild animals, from rock monitor wrestling, to elephant soccer, to grey heron surfing, to the Matabele ant marathon, to wildlife fencing, to the leopard on the high bars, to the lion atop the balance beam, to the javelin throw, to impala swimming, to the leopard high dive, to the cheetah-antelopes sprint, to giraffe karate, and finally, to our favorite, the elephant hurdle relay.

Latest Sightings gives its own play-by-play of the video with more details:

First up was the final of the rock monitor lizard wrestling competition where these two guys who will grow up to be 5-feet long showed off their scaly grappling skills.

After the awards ceremony it was on to elephant football where this mini jumbo showed he was no dumbo as he expertly dribbled with a ball of one of its herds dried dung!

After a ring event and a field event, it was time to take to the water where a grey heron took gold for an excellent display of hippo surfing never once looking to lose its tight grip.

The Animal Olympics then focused on the Matabele ant marathon as 400 runners which normally head off in a column to raid termite mounds took a day off for the big race.

All eyes were then back on the wildlife fencing semi-finals when then these two elephants crossed tusks, but after a couple of spirited parries the match was over very quickly. On to the final when a buffalo put his horns up against the tusks to try and take fencing gold, but it didn’t end well when the elephant went straight for the kill and rolled him over.

Then those most agile of predators, the leopard, took to the high bars to show his prowess putting in a remarkable display using an impala it had killed earlier as gym equipment.

Then the sport took a brief break and with social distancing being so important the winning leopard headed back alone into the Olympic Village to take on some much-needed water.

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All eyes then moved to the gymnastics where the favorite, a young lion, thought to take the top medal on the balance beam event and looked to have it cracked but then took a fall.

After the impressive closely run display, it was time for the javelin final between an elephant and rhino, but as the elephant was the only competitor with something to throw he won!

Then it was back to the swimming where an impala was clearly ahead of fellow competitors, but the attention of some African wild dogs saw it tread water and lose out on first.

The sport moved on to the high dive and in this incredible footage we see a perfect exit from the board and a 30-foot drop headfirst with a perfect landing and another gold.

As ever the most prestigious event was the sprint final with the firm favorite the 60 mph cheetah over the 55 mph impala, but the antelopes got a dream start and took the honors.

The next event was the giraffe karate with the two tallest beasts of the bush slugging it out, but after an astonishing bout it ended honors even, with judges ruling it neck and neck.

And then the grand finale with the elephant hurdle relay and this big fella is way ahead, but despite getting in a tangle shows why it is perfect for the fourth leg getting them all over.

Commenters on Latest Sightings’ YouTube channel overwhelmingly loved it, saying “nice video” and “this is great” and “great stuff” and “excellent” and “Olympic spirit!”

Another offered this gem: “Give that guy a medal, the one who actually got the idea to compile all these.”

Good idea.