South Africa’s Kruger National Park is home to a variety of animals. When people visit Kruger, they see all kinds of sights. Some of them are beautiful, like the birth of an elephant and its first steps. Other scenes are harrowing as nature takes its course and animals devour each other. In this clip, a lonely elderly buffalo struggles to live another day as it is stalked by a dangerous predator.
The video begins with a herd of antelope running across a field. However, the focus of the video quickly shifts as a large buffalo rumbles into the frame, galloping along the river bank. Suddenly, the gigantic mammal changed direction. In the background, a lion trails a buffalo, keeping its distance and waiting to attack.
The buffalo sees the threat and decides to run to the river, where it has a better chance of escaping the threat. The buffalo gets a respite as it begins to swim across the river. A lion peers from a riverbank as its potential food disappears.
For a moment, the lone buffalo seemed to be spared. However, the buffalo sensed something was wrong and started swimming upstream. Suddenly, a crocodile came out of the water and bit the buffalo!
The crocodile had no trouble keeping up with the buffalo in the water, forcing the buffalo to turn back to the original shore. So far, a small pride of lions has gathered to watch the spectacle.
The buffalo reached the shoreline and stood, stuck between the paws of a pack of lions and the jaws of a dangerous crocodile. The standoff lasted several minutes as the lions couldn’t decide whether to risk an attack.
The buffalo ran towards one of the lionesses as the others began to flank it. It changes direction and attacks the male, forcing the lion to give chase. Next, the buffalo again charged into their line and seemed to seal its fate. After all, the buffalo has five lions watching its every move.
However, the lone buffalo made a calculated move. A herd of buffalo made its way through the woods to support a lone buffalo and save its life. An off-camera person jokes about how the lions forgot about the other buffalo and now they missed their chance.
The video ends with dozens of buffalo emerging from the treeline to drink from the river their friends almost walked to. This buffalo was very lucky, but many buffaloes were not. Their homeland is full of dangers. Any animal that finds itself alone, weak, or old is a likely target for lions and other large predators.
Next: A look at a lonely buffalo trying to survive in the wild
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- Watch Elephants maim and throw a full-sized buffalo like it’s nothing
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
