No animal is going to go down without a fight, and a hunting lion knows this, which is why they tend to select vulnerable targets which they can bring down quickly and with minimal fuss.
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Whichever one of these three lions designated this buffalo as a target was guilty of some severe miscalculations. Not only was this buffalo about to put up an impressive fight, it turned out it wasn’t as vulnerable as the lions might have thought.
Difficult Prey
Due to their size, buffalo can be difficult prey for lions to take down, even if there are multiple big cats. With so much strength, lions can sometimes struggle to bring buffalo down to the ground where they can dispatch of them more easily.
In this case, three lions were struggling to overpower a single buffalo, although they were certainly giving it their all. One of them had leapt onto the buffalo’s back from behind, while another appeared to have tried to go for the neck.
Despite their own fearsome reputation, lions don’t have endless stamina for a long battle, so targeting the neck often lets them bring down their prey quickly, and with minimal effort expended. It’s great for them when it works, but this was not going to be an easy hunt.
Too Stubborn To Go Down
This buffalo was in a fight for its life, and it wasn’t about to let the lions get an easy kill. The lion at the rear had its claws lodged in the buffalo’s rump but this alone wouldn’t bring it down.
The unlucky lion that had gone for the neck found itself catapulted down to the ground by the angry buffalo, where it was facing the very real risk of being gored by the buffalo’s large horns.
It managed to keep itself just out of harms way by clinging to its prey’s face, but this was hardly the effective hunting display one might expect to see from a trio of lions.
Evening Out The Odds
No amount of strength would have allowed this buffalo to last against three lions indefinitely. Facing attacks from multiple angles, the buffalo’s demise was certain, and it would eventually fall.
At least, its demise was certain until a second buffalo came onto the scene. Unhindered by the lions hanging off its face and rump, this second buffalo was free to use its horns with maximum effectiveness to assist the other member of its herd.
With a third buffalo lumbering over, and the odds rapidly worsening, the lions recognized the need to retreat and regroup. Their plan wasn’t working, but they weren’t quite ready to cut their losses and leave just yet.
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Determined To Get Their Meal
Things might have been looking bad for these lions, but they were loathe to leave without getting something for their efforts. Chaos ensued as the lions and buffalo began a cat and mouse game of trying to catch and attack each other.
This game eventually ended in a standoff, the lions didn’t have the time to bring down one buffalo before the others intervened to save it, and the buffalo didn’t have the speed to escape the hunting lions without being chased.
The fight ended inconclusively, but it was amazing to see lions trying so hard to secure a meal, while the buffalo fought so desperately to survive in an incredible display of resilience.