Comfortable in their position as an apex predator, it might be easy to think that there are few animals that pose a threat to an adult lion, but this is simply not the case.
Despite their own reputation for ferocity, lions find themselves in dangerous and risky situations often, as there’s always a chance their prey might turn around and fight back.
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Rosa Swart spotted this hunting attempt near Shingwedzi Camp at the Kruger National Park, and sent the footage in to Latest Sightings. This lion might have been at the top of the food chain, but that didn’t make a difference to this herd of defiant buffalo.
Far From Ideal
Like most big cats, a lion’s preferred method of hunting is to ambush their prey before the unlucky animal has much of a chance to react. A stealthy approach and a quick execution is how the perfect hunt should play out.
Hunting in this way makes sure that the lion doesn’t have to expend too much energy. Life in the wild is always a careful calculation of the cost of each action balanced against the potential rewards, he less energy a lion expends, the more it profits from gaining new energy from food.
Of course, this is how it works in a perfect lion hunt, but it was clear from the outset that something had gone wrong here and as a result, this lion’s hunt was far from ideal.
The Element Of Surprise
This lion had already failed to approach stealthily, and as a result it had opted for an attempt at a full frontal assault. Maybe it was inexperienced, or perhaps it was just trying to make the best out of a bad situation, but it was about to learn why surprise was so important.
Most mammals are protective of their young, but younger animals make for better prey for predators as they are weaker and slower than adults. Using stealth gives the predator a better opportunity to attack their preferred target.
Without the element of surprise, prey animals can organize themselves into formations that protect the most vulnerable among them. This is particularly true for herd animals, and it makes a big problem for predators if those herd animals have horns.
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The Best Defense Is A Good Offence
As the buffalo, spooked by the presence of the lion, came down the hill they immediately began to draw up their formation. Adults typically form a ring around the younger members of the herd with their horns pointing outwards.
This forms a near impenetrable barrier that the lion can’t get through without risking a serious injury, and makes it almost impossible for it to target the young and weak in the herd.
But this herd of buffalo took it one step further. As they were forming their protective circle around their young, the herd decided that they weren’t going to allow themselves to be intimidated by one single lion, and they immediately mounted a counter charge.
Dismayed, the lion immediately gave up the hunt, humbled into changing its mind about eating one of the buffalo. It’s amazing what herd animals can accomplish when they work together, and these buffalo have managed to keep themselves safe for another day.