i'll never forget her scream. it was definitely someone who needed help. >> a beautiful day at the zoo. families and tourists flock to see the animals to get a little closer to the wildlife they might not otherwise get to experience. >> we have about 100, 120 animals, 36 different species. we take in orphaned, rescued animals. >> one of the most popular attractions is a 1,000 pound polar bear named binky. kevin pickle has known binky since the day he arrived. >> binky was an orphaned polar bear from the north slope. >> despite his cuddly name and cute, furry face, this polar bear is a carnivore and doesn't he doesn't take kindly to strangers. dr. larry rayford is taking a leisurely stroll with his camera. >> i was just walking through the zoo on a lovely, warm july day. >> suddenly cries for help

pierce the air. >> oh, my god. >> all of a sudden from a distance i heard terrible, terrible screams. >> what's she doing back there? >> dr. rayford rushes, camera rolling, toward the blood-curdling sounds coming from the polar bear cage. >> katherine warberg, an australian tourist, decided to get a picture. >> the 29-year-old woman from sidney, australia, is trying to get a good photo to share with friends back home. >> and catherine climbed over two fences to get up to the polar bear fence, which he could reach through, so once catherine climbed over that second fence, he jumped up and grabbed her. >> binky gets the jump on his unwitting victim. his long arms stretch through the eight-inch space between the bars.

the massive bear with baseball-mitt sized paws squeezes the woman tightly to the cage. >> i ran over in the direction of the screams and i happened to have my videocamera with me. i saw catherine being held by the hip by the polar bear. he had her off the ground. it was the largest animal i had ever seen in my life, and he had catherine's thigh firmly in his grip. >> when i arrived there and saw her like that, i just thought, i got to get her free. >> bystanders watch the bear squeeze his enormous head through the bars. they're confused and horrified. binky plunges his four-inch long canines firmly into catherine's left thigh. his teeth are dangerously close to the main femoral artery in catherine's leg. dr. rayford knows there's not much time left. >> in all my experiences as a

physician i'd never, ever seen anything as frightening as what i saw that day. had the polar bar severed her femoral artery she would have bled to death in a matter of seconds. >> can somebody call someone? >> somebody's coming. >> kevin springs into action, trying everything he can to free the frailing woman. >> i jumped over the first fence and threw my radio at him. just bounced off his head. then i grabbed ahold of catherine and it was just like paying tug-of-war. >> get a gun! tranquilize her! >> it's a terrifying struggle between zookeepers and rescuers trying to free catherine from the bear's unyielding grip. >> the bear would pull catherine toward him. the zoo keepers would pull catherine back toward them. >> she must have felt just like a rag doll being tossed around like that. >> they kept hitting him on the head. it did go good. >> the puny branches do nothing to stop binky.

>> and she did make a couple pleas to don't let go. just don't let go of me. i would get a little more of her every time. and then catherine's shoes slipped off. and so her foot just slid through the polar bear's mouth and then she was free. >> lay down, lay down. >> at last, catherine is free of binky's death grip. dr. rayford doesn't know if her injuries will be fatal. she's rushed to the hospital. >> i just felt the crunching of my leg. it was so excruciating. >> i believe it was almost two weeks she was in the hospital. she had some open wounds. a lot of bruising. she also had a broken leg. >> very lucky. i feel very fortunate. >> catherine suffers torn ligaments and a couple broken bones, but the biggest bruises are to her ego.

>> did she walk down there? >> hold still. lay down. >> there's no point dwelling over it, it's like it's done, it's gone. i've got to get along with my life and pick up the pieces where i left off. yeah. that means dealing with people saying i've done a stupid thing. >> the next day the zoo returns to normal. but fascinated rubber neckers flock to binky's little part of the world. everyone has an opinion. >> i think it's kind of sad that she didn't stay out of the fences because, you know, we're not supposed to be doing that. it kind of ruins it for everybody else. >> yeah. >> that's what happens if you don't follow the rules. >> it's good for them to know and see and realize how dangerous it is. >> catherine winds up with $60,000 in medical bills, a hefty price to pay for a curiosity that nearly cost her her life. >> i remember walking away thinking, did that just happen?

the berlin zoo. april, 2009. a 32-year-old mother reportedly depressed over losing her job, climbs over a fence, into a polar bear pool just as the monstrous white animals are getting ready to feed. curious, the bears do what comes naturally. they dive in after her. smelling an intruder. one of the four bears bites down on the woman's arms, legs and back. zookeepers rush to the scene frantically trying to save the woman. they throw a life preserver at the half ton bear who releases the woman. the move also distracts the three circling bears just long enough for zoo keepers to pull the woman up the wall and finally to safety. she's rushed to the hospital, with serious bite wounds. luckily, after time and lots of medical treatment, she recovers. zoo keepers say they were only seconds away from shooting the

polar bears in order to save that woman's life. coming up -- i'm a paramedic but i can't get down there. >> gorillas at the zoo find a toddler in their midst. a mad bull creates chaos in the stands. and a horse goes upside down, nearly crushing a woman. >> as soon as the weight is released, you go into shock and you ultimately expire. >> when "caught on camera: survival of the fittest" continues. ♪ [ woman ] too weak. wears off. been there. tried that. ladybug body milk? no thanks. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. it's so powerful you can skip a day... but light enough you won't want to. dermatologist recommended eucerin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com.

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a toddler plunges 24 feet into a gorilla pit. time seems to stand still, as the gorillas take notice. >> oh, my god. >> it's an elephant, see? >> it's august 16th, 1996. a small group of families is enjoying the zoo together in

brookfield, illinois. >> there's another elephant. >> how many are there? >> we had gone to the zoo, the three of us, our families. >> i was with my wife and oldest daughter. >> there's one right there. >> taking some video of some of the monkeys in the trees. >> there he is. >> as usual, the gorillas are a big hit. their massive size, up to six feet, and more than 400 pounds, and their humanlike behavior captivate kids and parents, alike. >> we were actually on our way out of the park when we decided to stop in and see tropic world. >> look at the monkeys. >> look at them running. >> it was very crowded. >> once we got in there, we all started to go through the exhibit. everybody is pretty much doing their own thing. >> suddenly, gasps of horror rise among the trees. >> i did hear a scream. didn't pay too much attention to it because the noise level that was already in there.

>> chaos surrounds the gorilla exhibit. witnesses crane their necks to see what's happening. phil's heart beats faster as he rushes to the unfolding scene. >> i automatically started walking that way. i got in front of a zookeeper there who had a walkie-talkie, had it up to his ear and he started running. >> what happened? >> there was a lot of people there, people were running. the unimaginable has happened. every parent's worst nightmare. a 3-year-old boy, perhaps excited by the awesome creatures, leans just that little bit too far, and takes a dive into the enclosure. he lies still, passed out on the ground. >> met up with pete and he told me the child had fallen into the gorilla pit. the gorilla has got her. >> a gargantuan gorilla is hovering over the boy. >> that's when things started getting hectic. >> one mother can't stand the suspense. >> at first, i didn't want to look.

i didn't want to know. i didn't want to see what i was about to see. >> where? they're down the gorilla cage. >> the gorilla's got her. >> they're like, the gorilla has the boy, the gorilla has the boy. that's when i peered over and saw the gorilla. >> oh, my god. >> helpless, paralyzed with fear, people gather by the rails. >> you felt like it was your child. you wanted to be able to help him. you wanted to get him away from the gorillas. >> the other gorillas were circling around, making these weird noises. when it happened. >> we heard i call it screeching from the other gorillas and all i saw was all of them coming toward the child. >> for all we knew, they were going to try to attack the baby or, you know, use it as a toy. i just started shaking all over. and the mother comes running up to me and she was screaming, frantically at the top of her lungs, somebody do something, that's my baby down there. that gorilla has my baby. i told her, my husband is a paramedic. he ran to help.

>> the zookeepers are alerted and rush to the scene. armed with hoses, they hope to scare off the gorilla. >> a bunch of the people from the zoo started coming into the exhibit and started bringing out hoses so that they could hose the gorillas out of the way. the mother, of course, didn't want to take her eyes off the boy. >> we can't do anything, pete. i'm a paramedic but i can't get down there. >> bill catches the whole thing on camera. what he sees next defies everyone's expectations. >> i bring the camera up and start zooming in so i can get a better look. >> a profoundly large menacing female gorilla has a hold on the boy. she carries her own baby on her back. to bill's shock and relief -- >> i see that she's cradling the boy. the boy's face up now. >> we had no idea until we saw the videotape afterwards that bill had taken that the gorilla actually was rocking the child.

>> it's as though the mother gorilla is instinctively trying to soothe the little boy. >> the way she was cradling that boy was just unbelievable. just holding on to him, looked like she's waiting for someone to come get him. >> witnesses still fear the worst. just seconds go by, but it feels like an eternity. finally a miracle. then i saw that she had laid the boy down, i could see the lower half not too far from the log. there was a zookeeper, he sprinted down there, and she took off running, left the boy there. >> the mother gorilla places the boy by the exit, as though she understands what's at stake. moments later, after bill stops filming, the boy's rescued. binty is swahili for daughter of sunshine. on this day, binty shines a brilliant light. into a potentially dark moment. >> binty saved this little boy's

life, brought to him where the paramedics could easily get to him. >> god was definitely with him, and something quoted to me by the father, several angels were there also. >> the boy spends four days in the hospital and makes a full recovery. >> i can actually say i can look at binty as a human. she treated the child like he was hers. >> i think she honestly is the hero of the whole story. coming up, a raging bull takes on a stadium packed with people. a horse trapped its rider in a ditch. >> and i'm upsidedown and she's on top of me. it was just a blink of an eye and it happened. and later, tourists witness a life and death struggle on the african plains. >> he's going for him.

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a horse goes belly-up and almost crushes a woman. rescuers fight against the clock as time runs out. >> don't let it go over backwards. >> sharon barnes is a horse lover, riding the trails in california is one of the great joys of her life. >> okay. there you go. it's incredible. the freedom. it gives you a lot of warmth. i mean, you get to get away from all your cares. good girl. >> sharon's been riding for 14 years. on this day, she won't be able to escape the cares of everyday life. >> come on. come on. >> she can't possibly imagine what lies ahead as she ventures out into her favorite valley with her son-in-law. >> i left here probably about 3:30. my daughter and son-in-law came and picked me up, went out to the stable and got the horses ready. i got to ride twister.

>> twister is a lovely arabian mare with a lot of so-called personality. but an easy ride overall. >> started the trail like normal and it looked fine. i knew that there was some water damage from the rains before but the trail looked final. we came around a curve and the trail kind of trapped me and disappeared. >> sharon senses danger, but tries to adapt. she's experienced and confident. >> so i start to take it to another part of the trail that was wider. at that point she stepped back and the ground just gave way. and i ended up upside down and she was on top of me. >> her son-in-law calls for help. after some tense moments, help arrives. >> need a lifeline. >> it was just a blink of an eye and it happened. >> more than 1,000 pounds of horse weigh down on sharon. the only good news, she's wedged

into a "v" in the crevice or culvert. so the full weight of the horse is supported mostly by the earth. but one erratic move by the horse and sharon's finished. for better or worse, sharon is wide awake, absolutely aware of her unusual predicament. >> i was completely, completely lucid. >> sharon remains calm and tries to soothe the upsidedown arabian. >> i was able to calm her so that she wouldn't panic. i talked to her. >> bar by sears is one of the first rescue workers on the scene. >> this is the first time we were called in to rescue somebody that was trapped underneath a horse and the horse was upsidedown. it just presented new problems that we had never dealt with before. >> the rescue team's greatest fear is spooking the horse. >> the horse is already in a predicament it's not used to. so anything that we do it's going to try and fight and do its own thing.

because they're so much larger than us, we're not able to lift them up like a normal patient and move them around. get enough guys back there to get the weight up. that horse will roll up like this, we can slide her out. >> for the moment, sharon's okay. but being a true horse lover, she's not worried about herself. >> i was very concerned about twister. i just didn't want anything to happen to her. i heard a little grumbling that they might have to put the horse down. i said don't. just don't. take care of the horse. >> ma'am, can you hear what's going on? okay. >> the rescuers work steadily to free her. >> sharon, are you okay? >> so a vet is brought in. >> do you feel like you can sedate him enough? >> i can try. >> and they sedate the horse so we can get in close. do things that normally wouldn't be able to gain access to. as the horse turns and the horse

was able to get his weight down on her, that would be a problem. >> sears' dilemma is obvious. >> a person laying on the ground and having a 1,200 pound horse on top of you, the human body is not made to have that type of weight on top of it. they call it crush syndrome. that you can survive while the weight is on top of you, as soon as the weight is released, you go into shock and you ultimately expire. >> sharon is covered in dirt. the paramedics talk to the buried woman as they prepare the desperate rescue. >> grab the rocks and stuff off of her. >> after a while, the dirt was so thick, i kept hearing people say, where's her head? >> sharon remains calm. >> i knew that i was in good hands. i knew that there were so many people up there concerned about me that i didn't have to worry. >> after more than an hour, the efforts of committed men and women produce a minor miracle. >> pull up a little bit.

get her out of there. let go of the rope. >> let it down, let it down. >> he pulled me out so fast and they stood me up. and i said, give me a second, i just want to stand on my feet for a second. they said, nope, you got to get out of here. >> we packaged her up in the gurney and got her out of there. >> are you hurt anymore right now? >> she was talking to us when she left, so that was a good sign. >> as for twister -- >> the horse is okay. >> that's the best sight of this rescue is to see the horse under the helicopter flying through the sky. >> it's remarkable that they both came out of it. >> but sharon's not clear yet. no one knows the full extent of her injuries. >> he put me on a stretcher and then they walked me down the hill. the helicopter was there, they put me right in, and lifted me off. >> a few big bruises, no major

damage, no broken bones. >> didn't even break a nail in it. come on, twister, let's go. >> they say horse people love their animals as much as humans. for sharon, her only concern through the whole dramatic ordeal is the health and safety of the animal, which almost ended her life. >> twister is just fine. she was real happy to see me the first time. she came over like, hey, good to see you. just to the south in mexico city, mexico, the country's largest bullfighting stadium. suddenly, a 1,000 pound bull bursts into the ring. spooked and terrified, the massive beast bolts for the stand. using his powerful legs, he vaults over a five-foot wall into the seats. the crowd scrambles to escape the deadly horns and horrible hooves. every man, woman and child is in danger. confused, the bull puts his head down.

he's defending himself from the perceived threats around him. chaos follows. he plows ahead, head down. the bull appears to gore a woman here, but she's okay. as the half ton of testosterone pushes his way forward, then unexpectedly he gets stuck. struggling, tired, out of gas, the bull settles in. in minutes, the bull is sedated and removed from the stands. seven people are hurt. miraculously, no one is killed, leaving bullfighting critics to demand an end to what they call a cruel and unusual spectacle. coming up -- >> they're crouching. >> a pride of lions runs down a baby buffalo. >> this lion jumped on the baby, dragged it into the water. and you could hear the baby screaming. i mean, you really could.

a hungry crocodile wants a piece of the action. >> and i saw this huge crocodile grab a hold of the baby's rear leg and try to drag it into the water. >> there's a crocodile there, too. >> when "caught on camera: survival of the fittest" continues. wears off. been there. tried that. ladybug body milk? no thanks. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. it's so powerful you can skip a day... but light enough you won't want to. dermatologist recommended eucerin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com.

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milissa rehberger. here's what's happening. white house officials corn firm president obama will nominate chuck hagel as defense secretary tomorrow. the former republican senator is facing some criticism from fellow republicans. a hearing for the suspect in the colorado movie theater killings will be held tomorrow. james holmes is charged with killing 12 and wounding 17. the nhl reached a ten-year deal with its players which will end the lockout that canceled most of this year's season. back to "caught on camera." welcome back to "caught on camera." i'm contessa brewer. picture this, you're on safari. the scenery is stunning. things are quiet.

until you stumble upon a heartstopping battle involving a pride of lions, a herd of cape buffalo, and one hungry crocodile. now you'll get to watch some of africa's most extraordinary animals in a fight for survival. lions. and buffalo. and crocodiles. oh, my. nearly nine minutes of possibly the most spectacular animal fight ever caught on camera. at the center of the battle royale, a hapless baby buffalo. who will survive this epic darwinian struggle? krueger national park, south africa. a group of enthusiastic tourists takes in the sights. >> we decided to go to africa because my wife and i have the philosophy of going on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation once a year.

>> jason is a mild-mannered attorney on vacation with his wife. >> and safari was something we always wanted to do. >> david and cheryl are also on the trip. >> my first trip to africa, yes. and i was quite nervous to go because i didn't know what to expect. >> africa, you realize when you're there, is the cradle of civilization. you can kind of feel it. the air is different. the air quality is different. the lighting is different. >> i'm thinking, here we go. this could be a real wild ride for us. >> look at the little one. that's so cute. >> jason is ready to call it a day. >> usually on safari, you don't really see much and we didn't expect any action. >> then a quiet watering hole appears out of nowhere. >> our guide said, let's stop at this watering hole, because he heard that there were some lions there. it wasn't until our last hour, on our safari, our final last day, our last hour, the sun was setting and at that watering hole is where we saw the pride of lions on one edge. and the buffaloes on the other.

>> soaking up the last rays of a hot day, the tourists grow wary. we waited a full hour before the buffalo started to make its way around the water. >> there were a group of lions to one side and across on the other side were cape buffalo. >> i thought to myself, oh, my gosh, i better have the camera on. this could be very interesting. >> three of the buffalo started to walk toward the lions. >> the tourists tense up as they see the inevitable confrontation forming on the far side of the water. >> as the herd was coming around, there seemed to be three leaders of the pack, a mommy, daddy and baby buffalo. and they were upwind so they did not smell the lions. couldn't see them in the grass. so they kept on going. >> he's enjoying himself and he has his nose in the air but he wasn't smelling the lions. >> but the lions catch the musky scent of dinner. their thick muscled legs tighten. >> they're crouching. >> the big cats are perfectly

camouflaged. >> and he's looking like he doesn't have a care in the world. >> that is a huge buffalo. huge buffalo. >> the lead buffalo, also called a bull, is a male, one of the largest and strongest in the herd. he is strolling along when suddenly his survival instinct kicks in. >> finally, the lead big buffalo understands that there's danger. he turns on a dime and starts running back. >> the herd catches on and starts a stampede. witnesses say the noise is deafening. >> i saw a lion come into view to the right, passed the other lions up. passed the lead big buffalo. >> the hunt is on. in a battle for survival, the lions always go for the weakest. then the lioness, reaching speeds of up to 50 miles an hour, makes her move. >> jumped on the baby, dragged it into the water. >> she's going for it. she's going for him. she caught him. oh, she did. she got him. >> did you see that? oh, my god. >> unbelievable.

>> and you could hear the baby screaming, you really could. >> they went spiraling into the air into the watering hole. >> they're trying to drag him out. they're dragging him out. >> in seconds, with an extraordinary leap. the lion snags the baby buffalo and flings him into the water like a rag doll. >> just then i saw a splash. then the other four lions came and just sort of surrounded this poor little hapless buffalo. you could hear it cry almost, when it got hit. it was sort of going -- you know, you could tell high pitched that it was making a funny sound. >> the other lions gathered around and decided to pull it out of the watering hole. some of them were chomping on the baby buffalo's mouth to try to suffocate it. others were trying to drag it out of the water. it seemed like a free for all. >> but the lions are just one of the baby's problems. there's a risk of drowning for the buffalo and in a flash, another mortal threat surfaces. >> there's a crocodile there too. >> and i saw this huge crocodile grab a hold of the baby's rear

leg and try to drag it into the water. >> the crocodile -- >> trying to grab the baby. >> a 15-foot-long crocodile armed with more than 60 teeth and powerful neck muscles enters the melee. >> look at this. the crocodile is taking the baby away. >> comes around, opens his huge jaws and snaps the baby buffalo around the torso. tries to pull him back into the water. what happens is probably the greatest tug-of-war i have ever seen. >> crocodiles are some of the most opportunistic predators on the planet. they take what they can, when they can. but the lions aren't about to give in so easily. for the next 30 seconds, the pride of lions wrestles the lord of the water in a bloody tug-of-buffalo. >> he has two attempts to try to grab the baby. he's going to wrestle the prey away from the lions.

so try number three, he has hold of the baby's leg and he begins to pull. and this is where a lot 6 people get upset at the film. >> the group of tourists watches in amazement. not knowing the outcome, fearing the worst. >> they're going to lose it. >> oh, my god. >> they're going to fight over it. >> oh, my god. >> in a split second, one side relents. >> eventually the crocodile gave up. >> noticing that there were a number of lions and noticing he was exposed to these lions, the crocodile decided to leap back into the water and the lions once again gained their prey back. >> the pride of lions is too much for the poacher. the cats pull the helpless baby buffalo up the embankment and get to work. >> the lions have won. >> everybody thought well, it's over. the lions have won. the baby is dead. >> but is it all over for the baby? it seems the tourists and the lions have underestimated one angry and determined herd of buffalo. coming up, the cape buffalo

make a last stand to save their calf. >> look at all those buffalo coming. >> they come running in to save the baby. the cavalry. >> will the littlest buffalo live to graze another day? >> trying to chase the lion. i think they're too late. >> he's kicking at him. look. he's kicking at him. >> the final act in one of the greatest wild animal dramas ever caught on camera. when "survival of the fittest" continues. people really love snapshot from progressive, but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. with snapshot, i knew what i could save before i switched to progressive. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. you're not filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressive. test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today.

a pride of lions maul a baby cape buffalo. >> she's going for him.

>> but the natural order is turned upsidedown when the herd turns angry. in a rare glimpse into the heart of africa, tourists witness an extraordinary battle of prey versus predator. buffalo versus lion. five lions take on a herd of cape buffalo. the lions focus their ferocious energy on the smallest, a baby. the ruthless attack lands the tangle of animals in a watering hole. lurking there, a crocodile hears opportunity knocking. >> there's a crocodile there, too. >> for more than a minute, the croc and the lions fight for the spoils. but the lions temporarily win this bloody battle, a small group of tourists watching in amazement. >> everybody thought, well, it's over. the lions have won, the baby's dead. >> when all seems lost, a storm gathers in the background. >> at this point, the herd came

back. >> look at all those buffalo coming. >> they come running in to save the baby. >> the cavalry. >> they're too late. >> miraculously, the herd's deep-down instincts for survival kick in. the herd charges in unison in a breathtaking show of force and determination. >> they're going to come to try to chase the lion, but i think they're too late. >> i think you're right. they were too late. >> but is it too late? the tourists witness the sight of a herd of buffalo, blitzing the crouched lions. some unspoken pact seems to propel the buffalo to the rescue. >> i don't know how they communicated, i have no idea how they all mustered the courage to go together, but there was something that was going on. something beyond our ears. >> oh, they got them surrounded. >> the lions hunker down, a last stand to protect their dinner and stave of tons of stampeding rage. and the lions were trapped. the water in the back, the

buffalo in the front. >> the big buffalo is spearheading the attack. >> it seemed like it was the daddy buffalo. >> after a brief retreat, the male buffalo leads the counterattack. the 2,000 pound animal will not relent. >> he kicks the first lion. >> whoa! he swatted at him, kicked at him. >> lion and cape buffalo truly do hate one another. >> he's kicking at him, look. he's kicking at him. >> look at him run. >> the bull uses his best weapon, with massive horns, the buffalo flings the ferocious lion into the air. >> we think it was the same buffalo, got another lion, hooked it with its horns, threw it up in the air. ooh! >> by now, the lions know that they are outnumbered. >> pandemonium, the tourists watch in amazement as the herd tries to save the baby.

>> they were chasing lions one way, chasing lions the other. >> a few hardy souls remain with their catch, refusing to budge. food is sometimes hard to come by here on the plains. with the sheer size, weight and aggressiveness of the buffalo convinces the lions that no meal, no matter how hotly contested, is worth a good old fashioned trampling. >> and there were maybe only like two or three lions left on top of the baby that we thought is probably dead by then. >> the lions scamper off in search of easier game. then, after almost nine minutes, after a mad chase, a powerful pounce. followed by a tumble in the water. after a crocodile joins the action. after a bestial tug-of-war, and in the midst of all almost certain death, a simple, heart-lifting miracle.

and then it stood up. >> the calf is still alive. yeah. it's trying to get away. it's standing up. >> it is. it's still alive. it's standing up. they've got him back. >> they to have him back. >> the tourists let out a collective sigh of relief as the wobbly calf rejoins mom and dad. the calf faces the abyss and lives another day. >> it stood straight up, walked back into the herd like nothing had happened. it was just a miracle. >> when we saw that baby get up, we were astounded. >> these two lions were left there looking around going, oh, what are we going to do next? >> they're lions. they got egos, they got pride. >> and then they charged them again and they chased them off into the woods.

>> they chased them away. at the very end, all we saw was just this big herd of buffalo. no lions. they were gone. >> no one is certain about the fate of the baby buffalo. but a few imagine the best possible outcome. >> they think the baby lived. i know it doesn't seem possible, but he looked like he was fine. another interesting phenomenon has risen from this remarkable video. >> the co-founder of youtube remarked this is his favorite video of all-time. >> millions upon millions of internet users have experienced the misery of defeat and the exhilarating thrill of victory. >> i can't believe there's over 40 million views on this. being able to share this, so other people can see it, i think that's a fantastic thing. >> she's going for him. she's going for him. she's got him. >> look at this. >> they're too late. >> the bizarre spectacle has

been seen by more people than almost anything on the web. thanks to one man with a camera, the world can now enjoy one of the shortest, feel-good movies of the decade. >> this, to me, is almost like a disney movie. because something bad happens in the beginning. >> she's going for him. she caught him. >> there's a struggle. >> oh! >> and then at the end, the good guys win. >> i've never seen anything like this. >> really? >> never seen anything like this. >> i think that's why it's so popular. coming up, a cunning canine robs a store. >> i looked at him and i said, drop it. >> and the plot thickens when he returns to the scene of the crime. >> that's my dog. >> when "caught on camera: survival of the fittest" continues. says the all-new nissa is a better car than camry. to argue would be rude. nissan altima. with moving-object detection. lease now. just $199 per month. visit choosenissan.com.

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a four-footed felon makes off with a bone after the store's manager orders her to

drop that loot. the shocking tale is caught on camera. december 25th, 2008. christmas day. things are quiet at smith's food and drug in murray, utah. the furry thief is a dog with a plan. >> you had to see it to believe it, but it happened. crazy. >> a shady character enters through the front door. not a care in the world. the husky is new in town and no one notices. she gives a casual hello sniff to a nearby shopper. >> just kind of sniffed the customer up and headed down the aisle. i've never seen him shopping here before. brand-new customer. didn't even have a fresh value card. >> what happens next confounds even hard-boiled law enforcement. the fearless flea bag is pulling off the perfect crime. a quick entry, a decision to make. left, baby diapers. right, dog food. the hairy hustler turns right

and straight for aisle 16. witnesses say it's as if she had cased the joint. >> the dog food aisle. he knew where he was headed. >> the store is packed to the rafters with presents. but this dog knows what she wants. her prize -- a rawhide dog bone. booty firmly in mouth, the husky heads for the door. but how will she pull off the great escape? one man is the only thing standing between her and the getaway. but the store manager has a bone to pick with the dashing dog. >> i looked at him and said, drop it. i decided i wanted to keep all my fingers so i didn't try to take it from him. he looked at me, i looked at him. he ran for the door and away he went. right out the front door. >> look at that dog go. >> experts say the cuddly crook's sense of smell is 10,000 times greater than the common criminal's. >> smelled the rawhide bone, grabbed it and walked out of the

store. thereby, being a shoplifting dog. >> store employees are baffled and tickled by the cunning crook. >> how likely is that for a dog to walk into a store, go down the pet aisle, get a bone and walk out? >> the dog goes on the lam, leaving witnesses to wonder how the brazen bow wow could pull off this bold burglary? >> he's enjoying the heck out of it. >> within the week, a stunning break in the case. the shoplifting dog is turned in. by her own best friend. akira returns to the scene of the crime in a hummer, this time riding in style instead of walking. >> kyra, come here, baby. >> the eleven-year-old siberian husky seems eager to make things right. after seeing their dog on local news, the sterling family suspects akira of being a good dog gone bad. the store manager is relieved, one more criminal is off the streets. >> yeah, there's no question,

that looks exactly like the dog. >> yes, that's the dog. >> yes, that's the dog. >> yeah, it's my dog. >> akira takes a stroll down memory lane, retracing the steps of the crime. she goes straight for the goodies. it seems like raw hide bones are her weakness. an investigation reveals the four-legged mastermind journeyed almost six miles to pull off the heist, then home again. a 12-mile round trip for a six-inch bone. >> that's a hungry dog. >> most shoplifters end up in cuffs but akira doesn't fit the criminal profile. >> we usually handcuff them, but we only have one set of handcuffs, so -- >> so instead of hard time, akyra fesses up and makes good. she feels so sorry for her dastardly deeds, she pays not once, but twice. >> you know what they say, it's a dog eat, dog world. you'll be happy to hear akira

the siberian husky has reformed her ways and is staying out of trouble. it can be wild out there. nature is filled with unpredictable and amazing creatures, so be careful and remember your camera. if you have a video you would like to send to us, you can log on to our website. caughtoncamera.msnbc.com. i'm contessa brewer. that's all for this edition of "caught on camera." these criminals may think no one's watching. but a powerful observer is recording every detail. >> we just sat and watched this

video with our mouths open. >> the tape closed this case, period. >> now see with your own eyes just what these victims endure. >> just comes right over me and shoots me. >> i'm trying to protect myself. >> the horror -- >> is this guy going to kill me? >> -- the brutality. >> driving damn pbullets into her. >> the fear. >> i'm not going to lie, it's a scary situation. >> caught in the act. >> the defendant is guilty of murder in the first degree. >> caught red handed. >> we the jury impose the sentence of death. >> "caught on camera: witness to the crime." security cameras. these days practically every store and business has one. they've proven invaluable in helping police track down and identify suspects. in this hour, you'll see crimes unfold as they happened.

real people in the midst of terrifying situations. as you watch, just think to yourself, how would you react if this were to happen to you? a violent attack at a kfc in statesville. a store manager closing up shop ends up fighting for his life. >> get the damn thing open. right now. >> it's just after 9:00 p.m. october 15th, 2007. mitch has released his crew for the night while he finishes up some last-minute details. only seconds behind the others, he heads to his car, when a masked man carrying a gun charges out of the bushes. >> i was shocked. do what he says, give him what he wants and he's going to go away. >> the man pushes mitch back into the store, setting off the alarm. now the gunman knows he needs to move fast. the tense moments are captured on store's security camera.