They say that teamwork makes the dream work. But who will prevail in this dangerous interaction between a highly social predator and a prey species?
Lee Whittam submitted this dramatic footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park.
At peace on the plains
Lee’s video begins by showing a large herd of Cape buffalo standing on an open plain.
All seems peaceful, but in Africa, things are not always as they seem.
Never Miss A Viral Safari Video
Risky interactions, like these wild dogs trying to hunt buffalo, are popular with our members. To be among the first to see our latest sighting videos, join our exclusive alert list. Click the button below to join the WhatsApp chat right now, and never miss another thrilling moment.
Approaching threat
As Lee pans his camera, we see that the peace is about to be disturbed. A large pack of African wild dogs is approaching.
Typically, wild dogs don’t tackle such large prey. However, as Lee explained, this pack had around 40 mouths to feed and was willing to try.
Don’t mind us
Not wanting to disturb the herd too early, the dogs approached slowly, forming a broad front.
However, this was just a ruse. By holding their heads low, they were clearly in hunting mode.
And… Go!
However, as they got closer, the buffalo started getting nervous.
Seeing this, the dogs simultaneously broke into a run. The chase was on.
Too slow
With the dogs rapidly approaching, the buffalo herd tried running away.
However, the dogs were too fast and soon caught up as dust rose over the plain.
Herding buffalo
To prevent the buffalo from escaping, the dogs split up to surround the herd.
With their tails raised to signal one another, the dogs were now in control of the situation.
Organising the defences
Meanwhile, the buffalo began to organise their defences.
Packed tightly together, with the most vulnerable in the middle, they presented a formidable opposition.
The stage is set
With that, the stage was set. But who would blink first.
Despite being the intended prey, the buffalo were far from surrendering. Instead, some of the bulls charged at the dogs.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Exposed
However, they isolated themselves as they did so. Consequently, the dogs counter-attacked, hoping to force an individual from the herd’s protection.
But each time, before the dogs could latch on, the buffalo managed to get back to safety.
The dogs persevered, mounting several coordinated attacks. But the buffalo were disciplined and maintained tight cohesion.
Protect the young
Ideally, the dogs hoped to get hold of one of the calves but each time they got close, the herd folded around the youngster, protecting it from harm.
Consequently, the video ends as we see the herd running off into the distance.
However, according to Lee, while they won this battle, things didn’t go quite so well for them subsequently. He said that on their next attempt, the dogs brought down a cow, followed by several more over the following weeks.