Watch the Sighting:
Field guide Deon Kelbrick was out on a morning safari in Nkorho Bush Lodge with his guests, when their initially exciting encounter turned into a heartbreaking event.
The group was following a pride of lions, expecting to witness the elegance of a cooperative kill—but instead, they stumbled upon one of nature’s most raw and ruthless encounters. To the group’s initial delight, the pride had decided to go after a herd of buffalo.
The hunt began, and at first, it seemed as though the lions may have had a chance at securing a meal. In a dramatic twist of events, however, the herd decided it would retaliate the best way it knew how.
The Stampede’s Wrath
The buffalo grouped together and began to stampede, barreling full speed towards the pride of lions. Most of the pride made it out of the way in time, but unfortunately one of the older males who was previously injured was not fast enough.
In a flurry of hooves and dust, the old lion was savagely trampled by the herd. Miraculously, he managed to drag himself out of the stampede alive, but his ordeal was far from over.
Launched by Horns
The buffalo herd encircled the lion as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily. One by one, they took turns approaching the lion and testing his state with menacing horns.
Despite his best efforts to defend himself with swipes and growls, the lion was no match for the relentless onslaught.
Next, the buffalo took turns tossing the lion around with their horns as it desperately tried to fight back. Deon’s guests gasped as they watched the poor lion nearly get impaled time and time again.
Pride to the Rescue
Finally, after about fifteen minutes, the pride returned to defend their fallen comrade. The presence of six other lions was enough to send the herd retreating, but the damage was already done.
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While the male lion survived the trampling, he was left in rough shape with a lot of internal bleeding. Before the incident, he had already survived for four years with a limp, showing how resilient nature can be.
Deon and his group were saddened by what they had witnessed but humbled by the cruelty of nature. “As sad as it is, we should always remember this is the wild and that nature can be cruel sometimes and it will always be a battle for survival”.
Horns Versus Claws
With sharp horns, massive body size and unpredictable behaviour, many people consider African Buffalo to be more dangerous than lions. Even though they are tough, buffalo have a constant heightened awareness, always looking out for any predators that may threaten the herd.
Buffalo use their keen sense of smell, brief periods of sleep, herd formation, and water-based travel routes to avoid any unpleasant surprises from big cats. If an attack does occur, buffalo use their stampeding tactics and horns to ward off the predators.