By: Bowen Wang

Imagine trying to doggy paddling for almost a mile. That would be very tiring. That’s what two lions had to do to save their own lives.

In the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, two lions took on a daring feat. They decided to swim across the Kazinga Channel, a 2 to 4-kilometer-wide channel, which splits the national park in half. The channel is home to a variety of animals, including hippos and 16-foot-long crocodiles. It was very risky, but after three desperate tries, the pair of lions managed to swim across.

One of the lions, known to researchers as Jacob, lost his leg in a poacher trap, which made it extremely difficult to swim and walk. His brother, Tibu, guided Jacob along the way, making it possible for these two lions to swim across the channel.

After an unsuccessful first try, the two lions tried to cross the channel again. During their second attempt, danger awaited. The New York Times said, “During the second attempt, the drone that was tracking them picked up a large thermal signature that may have been a crocodile or a hippo in pursuit; the two male lions split into a Y formation before hurrying back to shore.”

Finally, on their third try, Jacob and Tibu waited until the coast seemed clear, then raced toward the other side of the channel. This third swim went smoothly. After that, the researchers saw Jacob and his brother on the other side, but there was no actual recording of the lions swimming across the channel.

This is the longest distance a cat has swum. According to the New York Times, “Lions have been observed swimming in Okavango Delta in Botswana, but rarely farther than 150 feet. ” Only a few lions have swum longer than that, including one that swam 985 feet.

Now, Jacob and Tibu have set a world-record.