It wasn’t just that the game viewers were given a front row seat to see all the action but also that the buffalo in question fought back against the lions’ onslaught… and came out victorious!
Road becomes the scene of commotion
The H4-1 set the stage for this memorable encounter. This road is one of the park’s busiest and most iconic routes. It is renowned for excellent wildlife viewing and stunning scenery.
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Many times on a game drive, spectators will sit with binoculars, or try to see past bushes and long grass to catch a glimpse of a lion’s tail, or mane.
However, spectators weren’t left guessing what was happening with this sighting. The action was right in front of their eyes, and they were privileged to see one of the bushveld’s most coveted sightings… an attempted kill.
A buffalo ran out onto the road, following by a trio of large male lions!
All of the animals were in clear view. Binoculars weren’t needed!
One of the male lions tore at the buffalo’s hindquartres with its claws and teeth. This is a chief method used by lions in attacking buffalo, and aims to immobilise the prey.
However, this determined buffalo fought back.
Lions are familiar with the risks of ambushing buffalo. Buffalo often retaliate against their attacks, and use their horns, and strong kicks as powerful weapons of defense.
Buffalo evades attacking lions
The buffalo in question managed to evade the attacking lions and get to the other side of the road. It stood alongside another buffalo, and together they formed a formidable front.
The lions appeared to be less united in their efforts against the buffalo now.
One of them gingerly approached the buffalo, standing almost sheepishly before them. The buffalo used their horns to intimidate the lion and their tactics appeared to be working.
The deathly onslaught by the lions was warded off by their united front, and their brazen use of their horns to fend off the lions.
Gerrie and the occupants of the safari vehicle continued to watch the scintillating action. The excitement in the air was almost palpable, even in the clipping.
However, there was to be no kill this day. The buffalo pair demonstrated that two are indeed better than one, and the large male lions were unsuccessful in their attempts to secure a meal.
It was clear from this sighting that all is not as easy as it might seem when trying to secure a kill in the wild. Buffalo are bold and will not back down easily, especially if they are healthy bulls. This pair stood their ground, snorted, pawed the earth, and were prepared to charge if needs be.
Lions will generally look for signs of weakness when choosing whether to go ahead with a hunt. Such signs of weakness might include injury, exhaustion, or hesitation. These two strong buffalo bulls showed no weakness. While they were outnumbered, two to three, they put up a strong front and made for a sighting worth remembering.
