For all of its beauty, the animal kingdom is brutal, and often filled with heart wrenching moments that are difficult to witness. Scenes like this only show the difficulties that these animals have surviving.
At least, it’s brutal for the buffalo. For the lions this was a very successful moment that saw them secure an extra large meal and prolong their own survival for minimal effort.
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Colin Holden spotted this sad occasion while on a drive at the Monwana Game Lodge. He captured footage of the buffalo’s last moments, and sent it to Latest Sightings.
A Successful Hunt
To say the buffalo was having a bad day would be an understatement, but the lions were doing very well for themselves. As Colin’s vehicle orbited the scene, the lion pride encircled the buffalo and ensured it wouldn’t be able to escape their jaws.
With the poor animal completely surrounded, it had no chance of escape, and the lions closed in for the kill. Prey of this size would make for a good meal, and the lions were determined to enjoy it.
They wasted no time in tearing into the fresh carcass. The sounds of struggle might have attracted other, rival, predators and although the lions would try to protect their meal it would be preferable for them to avoid another battle.
A Macabre Bonus
While most of the pride was taking advantage of the fresh meat in front of them, at least one of the lions was curious enough to investigate the surrounding area.
Maybe it had picked up a scent trail, or it had heard rustling sounds coming from a nearby bush to indicate there was another animal there. Either way it went looking, and it found something.
Hidden in the nearby bushes and long grass, was the buffalo’s young calf, too small to defend itself and likely attempting to hide while the lion pride devoured its mother.
An Extra Snack
The buffalo calf was small, too small to make for much of a meal by itself but it was still meat and the effort of catching it was negligible. For a hungry lion it was a simple case of picking it up in passing as a snack.
Deer and antelope occasionally stash their young safely in the long grass to keep them safe from predators while they roam, and this buffalo might have attempted something similar, except in this case the lions discovered and targeted the adult first.
Without its mother to offer any protection, the poor calf was vulnerable and exposed to attack. The lucky lion that found it carried it over to the rest of the pride, so that the entire meal was in one place.
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Desperate Survival
The buffalo’s loss was the lion’s gain. As much as a sighting like this must be incredibly sad to witness, catching food while expending the minimum required energy is vital to the lion’s survival.
With enough meat to satiate themselves, the lions would have some time before they needed to hunt again. Eventually, though, they would start to feel hungry and look for more prey, and the wheel of life will continue to turn.