It’s easy to imagine that incredibly elite predators are always in control of a hunt, and that’s what makes them so successful. This sighting shows that it can often be a lot more chaotic than this.
Mark Fox caught this lion hunt on camera at the Kumana dam in November 2020, and the glorious disorder of it shows that these predators are often taking opportunistic chances and hoping everything turns out for the best.
Following The Lion Convoy
The lions were moving through the bush in a convoy when Mark caught them on camera. They didn’t appear to be actively hunting yet, but they were clearly on the lookout for something worth chasing.
There didn’t appear to be any male lions with them. This was a large number of lionesses out on business, and their mission was to bring down something for them to eat.
A Head-To-Head Competition
Eventually the lions started picking up speed, and it was clear that they’d found some prey. The stakes ramped up immediately when a huge buffalo burst out of the bush, heading straight for one of the lions.
The pride must have been stalking the animal the whole time, but it wasn’t about to go down without a fight. It was like it was playing a game of chicken with the lion, and despite being an apex predator, the lion lost this round.
A Chaotic Struggle
It was an incredibly intense hunt which followed. The lions had found two buffalo and either was a potential meal as their herd was nowhere in sight, meaning they could only rely on each other for help in their isolation.
The lions closed in from every angle, working together to shepherd one buffalo into a more open space where they could surround it fully. This was no easy task, however, as the buffalo was desperate, and fast.
Meanwhile, the other buffalo was putting up a similarly fierce resistance, and the lions couldn’t keep it in one place for long enough to fully surround it. There were plenty of lions, but these buffalo were going to make them work for it.
Two For The Price Of One
It appeared that the lions weren’t the only predators active on that day. While the lions were feasting on their buffalo catch, the camera panned to the left of the vehicle to show a leopard that had caught a baboon.
Well camouflaged in the bush beside the vehicle, the spotted coat of the leopard could just be made out in the shadows as it enjoyed its own, more personal meal. Perhaps it was jealous of the amount of food the lions had secured.
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An Unexpected Development
But the leopard wasn’t the only animal watching from a distance. It turned out an elephant was keeping a close eye on the pride of lions as well, and it eventually decided it had had enough.
It charged onto the scene, spooking several of the lions and causing them to retreat. It’s possible it thought it was saving the unlucky buffalo, but it must have quickly realized it was too late.
The complete unpredictability of this sighting was exhilarating, and it shows the worth of watching a hunt through until its completion if it’s possible to do so.