A record-breaking swim by two lion brothers across a croc-infested African river has been documented.

A study, co-led by Griffith University and Northern Arizona University, highlights the two-male lion coalition undertaking a kilometre-long crossing the Kazinga Channel in Uganda at night.

One half of the lion brother duo is a 10-year-old local icon known as Jacob, who became famous for surviving a multitude of life-threatening incidents, one of which left him with an amputated leg.

Their risky swim river was captured using high-definition heat detection cameras on drones.