After pulling down a buffalo, this lioness took her eye off the prize and lost it. Read to the end for a funny surprise.
Mike Cowden submitted his footage of this peculiar sighting. He filmed it while visiting South Africa’s Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.
Buffalo down
Mike’s video begins with an impressive sight. A lioness has brought down a Cape buffalo bull.
Although we’re not sure how it went down, it seems impressive that she has brought down the massive beast on her own. Even so, it is still alive, so she still has work to do.
Death by asphyxiation
Subsequently, she gets back to the task of killing it. A lion’s preferred method is by asphyxiation (oxygen deprivation).
Accordingly, she clamps her jaws over the bull’s thick throat. Death by asphyxiation can take up to ten minutes, so she needs to stay focused.
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Lapse in concentration
Subsequently, when the bull feels her jaws clamp on his throat, he starts to struggle. If the lioness doesn’t bite now, she risks losing her prize.
Bizarrely, however, she seems to forget who she is dealing with. Of all Africa’s animals, buffalo are probably the one least likely to simply give up.
Sensing an opportunity, the buffalo redoubles his struggle to free himself.
Momentum swings
Consequently, he manages to dig his horn into the ground, thereby creating leverage to lift his mighty head. With that, he gains momentum and tries to roll onto his chest.
Realising her mistake, the lioness tries to hold the bull down. However, he outweighs her by a considerable margin.
Consequently, he manages to roll away from her, even as she digs her claws in, desperate to prevent him from getting to his feet.
Rising from the grave
In a massive show of strength, the bull manages to get his forelegs under himself. Subsequently, with a mighty bellow, he begins to rise.
Meanwhile, the lioness frantically tries to subdue him. However, even an attempted bite to the spine does little to slow the bull’s ascent.
Instead, he manages to push up his hindquarters, easily lifting the lioness in the process.
As he does, the lioness realises that she might now be in danger herself. Wisely, she jumps clear of the bull.
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Defeat conceded
Now back on his feet, the bull turns to face his foe. As the pair stand face-to-face, it’s hard to imagine what might be going through their minds.
Perhaps exhausted by her efforts, it is the lioness who backs down. As the bull watches, she turns to walk away.
The bull, meanwhile, stands his ground, ready to defend himself again.
Twist in the tale
What happens next takes us by surprise. As Mike pans back to the lioness, we see a second lion, a young male, has been present all along.
Quite why he chose not to help his comrade is anyone’s guess. However, as she lies down next to him, it seems she harbours no ill feelings.
After all, kids can be such fussy eaters. LOL.