Cheetah-ing death: Impala escapes hungry predators by jumping into a car full of tourists who let it out once the coast is clear!

Impala made an unusual escape at Kruger National Park

The animal jumped into a tourists' car to avoid becoming lunch

The two chasing cheetahs were left bewildered and hungry

Desperate times require desperate measures – and when an impala was targeted by two vicious cheetahs, it made a jump for it that will not soon be forgotten.

The distressed animal was captured on camera leaping into a car full of tourists in order to escape the predators.

The terrified animal appeared to be seconds away from death when an unexpected window of opportunity appeared – quite literally.

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Sweet escape: A group of impala flee across a road in Kruger National Park, South Africa when one of them take an unexpected turn

Swift exit: As the last impala cross the road, the cheetahs' intended meal finds a novel way to escape ‘All of a sudden we saw the impala jump out of the bushes and then someone started screaming 'it is in the car, it is in the car'. ‘We heard a little girl screaming in the car. The boy sitting outside the car filming looked a lot younger, so it must have been a family. ‘People in other cars screamed 'open the door, open the door'.’ In the confusion, one of the passengers managed to open a door and the impala is seen just seconds later trotting across the road to freedom. The cheetahs are just yards away but do not give chase. The footage was captured in Kruger National Park, South Africa, where according to park rules you must stay inside your vehicle at all times.

As the terrified impala realises it is the cheetahs' chosen meal, it looks for a way out, and spots the car

Unexpected visit: One person inside the car appears oblivious to the fact that an impala is on its way inside the vehicle and continues to film the cheetah chase

Just dropping by: This is the moment when the impala jumps into the tourists' car in front of the chocked cheetahs