There are a lot of predatory animals, but the lion is the most known among creatures in that category. When people are asked about terrifying animals, most of them would answer the king of the jungle. Their presence can already make anyone tremble in fear. And although majestic, their roar is as intimidating as how they look. Lions are apex predators that embody dominance and strength. The fearless large cats won’t back down on any fight. They are also good hunters, which makes them even more horrifying. You simply don’t want to encounter a lion all alone, especially when it’s out for a hunt. The apex predator rules the land — they aren’t to be messed with.

Photo: Instagram/Ilhan Atalay

However, there are moments when other wild animals bravely engage in a fight with them. Surely, those animals have a similar size to lions or are bigger and are capable of contending with the king. It’s inevitable to have fights with other neighboring wild animals — put hot-blooded and territorial creatures together in one place, and a fight will likely happen. Surprisingly, other predators aren’t the only ones that can bravely face a lion. In an Instagram post by ilhanatalay, a dog seemed to not care about their difference in physical status. People expect that a lion would immediately win against a dog, primarily due to size and strength difference. However, the dog was the exception — it was lionhearted.

Photo: Instagram/Ilhan Atalay

During the rare instance, the dog seemed to provoke the predator with its bark. The lion immediately attempted to attack until the dog barked louder. Perhaps it was the dog’s strategy — to overpower the lion with courageous barks. The large cat defended itself as its paws reached for the dog. However, the lion must have been overwhelmed by the dog’s display of confidence, and it chose to back down. The lion took steps backward as the brave creature in front of it charged. It was definitely shocking to see one of the largest land predators be chased back to the wild.

The fight did not last long. As soon as the dog felt like it was enough, it left the lion alone. There was so much courage inside the regular-sized dog. It was a once-a-blue-moon moment, and the Instagram reel gained 1.6 million views, 80.1k likes, and thousands of comments. Netizens praised the dog for its gallantry and also threw in some jokes. “I think the dog has watched lot of motivational videos,” thomas_c_valooran commented. Various opinions can be found in the comment section — a combination of shock, amazement, and worry for the dog. Share the Instagram reel below. It’s a great conversation starter as you can talk about the possibilities of other animals winning over the king of the jungle.

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A post shared by İlhan Atalay (@ilhanatalay_)