Watch The Sighting Here:
This video was sent to Latest Sightings by Sune. She filmed it while visiting South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Bogged Down
Sune’s video opens to the sight of a buffalo lying in a mud wallow.
It is unclear whether it is alive, particularly as its head is partially submerged in the mud.
Here Comes Trouble
After a few moments, a lone hyena arrives on the scene. What drew it to the location is unclear.
As it spotted the buffalo, it cocked its ears curiously and approached the unmoving bovid.
Cautious Approach
Still unsure of what it was dealing with, the hyena approached the buffalo cautiously from behind. Stretching its long neck, it sniffed tentatively at the still motionless beast.
The hyena felt emboldened after nudging the buffalo a few times with its snout and getting no response. Then, it decided to take an exploratory bite near the buffalo’s tail.
It’s Alive!
At this, the buffalo finally showed that it was still alive, emitting a weak bellow. Alarmed, the hyena sprang back to reassess the situation.
Throughout the incident, the hyena was on high alert. Repeatedly, it scanned the surrounding area looking for potential threats. After all, it’s not every day an opportunity of this magnitude presents itself.
A Gruesome Feast Begins
Satisfied that there were no threats from the buffalo or other sources, the hyena moved in. This time, it tore at the skin surrounding the buffalo’s anus.
While hyenas have incredibly strong jaws, capable of shearing the thickest hide, they targeted the thinner skin in the rear.
Barely able to move in the cloying mud, there was little that the buffalo could do. Instead, each time the hyena bit, it let out another plaintive bellow.
But it would find no mercy from the hyena. After tearing away sinews, it soon began chewing big mouthfuls of bloody flesh.
Still, the buffalo refused to die. As if mourning its demise, its bellows continuously rumbled through the still air.
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Insides Exposed
Even as the hyena pulled out coils of intestines, the buffalo somehow managed to cling to life. Some scientists say that when savaged in this manner, prey species go into shock.
By doing so, it is thought that they do not feel pain and can therefore focus on survival. However, still firmly stuck in the mud, it was a moot point in the case of this buffalo.
Facing no resistance or competition, the hyena continued to feed on its living meal. As the wound grew, it buried its entire head in the cavity.
Even so, the buffalo continued to bellow despite what must have been massive trauma and blood loss.
As for the hyena, its face was soon covered by a gory, blood-smeared mask.
Eating Live Prey
From a human perspective, the brutality of this incident is obvious. However, in Nature, clean, clinical deaths seldom occur.
Since predators rely on maintaining good physical condition for their survival, when tackling prey, they need to avoid two things: injury and competition.
Therefore, this buffalo presents the ideal scenario. It cannot escape, and it cannot defend itself, thus eliminating risk of injury.
However, there is still the risk of a competitor, such as lions, arriving to steal the bounty. Therefore, the hyena doesn’t “waste” time killing the buffalo. By feeding immediately, it ensured that it got its fill before the scent of exposed flesh reached possible competitors.