For hours, this warrior buffalo is repeatedly attacked by lions, but it keeps getting back up and fighting.
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Nic Nel, a professional guide at MalaMala Private Game Reserve, captured the intense battle on camera. Nic shared his story and footage of the sighting with LatestSightings.com.
“We spent the morning tracking a resident lion pride that calls this area home. We were lucky enough to find some of them quite early in the drive; three of the females, to be precise. They were all quite hungry and seemingly on the hunt. They stumbled upon a decent-sized bachelor herd of buffalo and the battle began!
“After carefully assessing the situation, the lions identified one bull that perhaps they thought may be the weakest. They charged in at full speed and were able to single him out. The tactic was clear: they were not going for the kill because taking down a big buffalo bull is no easy ask for 3 lionesses. So they decided to rather wear him down before they made the final blow.”
“The buffalo bull was not going down without a fight. He stood strong and tried to swing his horns fast enough to catch one of the lionesses off guard. The lionesses, on the other hand, were too smart; one of them managed to get onto his back and began biting at his spine while the other two took to his legs and hoping to snap his tendons, and cripple him.”
“The bull let out multiple distress calls, which caused his brother and family to instantly respond. They rallied together, forming a line and charging in at the lions. With powerful horns and brute strength, they pushed the lionesses away for a moment.”
“The fight went back and forth for hours. The buffaloes would keep running in trying to save their brother, and the lionesses would just move off for a moment and instantly come back. At one point, they even got the big buffalo on his back and tried eating him alive, but like true family, the other buffaloes refused to give up and rushed in again.”
“However, things took a turn, the buffalo herd paused, sensing a shift. The buffalo sank to the ground, letting out a final, sorrowful bellow before falling silent. The lionesses had succeeded; their constant biting had broken his back and severed the tendons in his legs. With no chance of recovery, he and the other buffaloes understood the outcome.”
“The exhausted lions lay next to the immobile buffalo, who was albeit not for long still alive. As tired as lions were, they quickly called their little ones, and out of nowhere appeared seven cute cubs, all excited for a good meal. They immediately began biting and taking nibbles out of the buffalo’s back, while their moms watched on and caught their breath.”