Watch the sighting here:
Neither a brave comrade nor an angry herd of elephants could save the life of a Cape buffalo. Set upon by a pride of 22 lions, the old bull’s final stand was an epic interaction.
Sent to Latest Sightings by guide Gareth van Rooyen, the drama played out at MalaMala in the Greater Kruger.
Distress calls
Gareth said that he heard distress calls from camp and gathered his guests to investigate. Five minutes later, they found a lone buffalo being attacked by the large Kambula pride of lions.
The pride, comprised of female adults, mixed sub-adults and cubs, had surrounded the bull in a dry riverbed. While some lions sought to bring down the bellowing bull, others waited nearby.
Dagga boy to the rescue
Older buffalo bulls are colloquially known as ‘dagga (mud) boys), given their habit of wallowing in mud to cool down. Often, several bulls will band together for mutual protection.
So, when the beleaguered bull’s bellows reached the ears of its brother-in-arms, a rescue attempt was inevitable.
Suddenly, the would-be rescuer stormed into the fray, swiping its horns in an effort to see off the lions.
Noticing the oncoming juggernaut, the lions scattered, giving the first bull a brief respite from its attackers.
Quick to regroup
No sooner had the buffalo tasted freedom than the lions regrouped. While several of them chased off the intruder, others were quick to attack their original target.
While the buffalo made some progress following its comrade, it wasn’t long before the entire pride was once again hot on its heels.
Another rescue attempt
Unable to resist helping its distressed herd mate, the second bull once again sent all but one of the lions running.
With a lion hanging grimly onto its head, the buffalo still can’t flee before it is once again surrounded.
The battle continues
Under near-constant attack, the video cuts to the ongoing stand-off. Only now, a large wound is visible on the buffalo’s shoulder.
The buffalo is visibly exhausted with a lion on its back mauling the injury. Bleeding profusely, it gradually sinks to the ground.
Now, with its head resting on the ground, the buffalo breathes heavily — each exhalation creating a puff of dust.
Meanwhile, and thankfully hidden from view, the pride begins to feed on the still-living buffalo’s rump.
Eventually, one of the lions clamps its jaws on the buffalo’s windpipe, gradually asphyxiating it.
The drama continues
In the next scene, a small herd of elephants arrives on the scene. The lions, perhaps not ready to deal with another giant opponent, initially give way.
Alarmed by the smell of blood and presence of the lions, the elephants huddle around their youngest members. Trumpeting and mock charging, the elephants don’t cause the lions too much bother.
Feeding in peace
Gareth said that they viewed the spectacle for several hours from start to finish. Eventually, the elephants moved off, leaving the lions to feed.
He said the pride fed for nearly two days, providing much-needed sustenance for the whole pride.
Be ready for action
His advice for anyone hoping to find themselves witness to a similar spectacle is, “Take a bean bag along and set up your camera on top of the bean bag once at a sighting – to keep it nice and steady. Let the camera roll and kick back and enjoy the sighting.”