One of the first lessons of the African savannah is not to get caught between a lion and its prey. During the hunt, you might just be the next item on the menu.
In this video, a buffalo forgets this cardinal rule and puts itself in the path of hunting a lioness. It started with a herd of buffalo grazing and tending their own business. Three lionesses hunched over in tall grass, ready to hunt. This is a common way lions hunt for prey. They move slowly and softly, using stealth to prevent prey from noticing their presence.
A lioness went to the shade and lay down. Whether she’s hunting for potential prey or just taking a break, she’ll blend into the tall grass. The video pans from a herd of buffalo to a lioness less than 100 feet away.
At this point, we can imagine where the action will go. The lioness sniffed the air and opened her mouth, showing her sharp teeth. It’s not hard to imagine her curling up and rolling into action, ready to take down her prey. However, she is smart enough to know that she cannot kill a whole herd of buffalo and hides behind tall grass.
blissfully unaware of the danger
The buffalo continued to approach, using their ears and tail to graze and chase away the bugs. A buffalo comes a few feet closer to a lioness as it feeds. Its sharp horns are clearly visible in the video, as is the lioness, who made no move as the animal approached.
Only a foot away, the lioness stood up abruptly. She paused, looking at the buffalo staring back. Both briefly move away from each other before the lioness sprints across the herd. Losing the element of surprise, she tries to take down a buffalo for her meal. The lioness gave chase, and the cattle hurried away.
safari sightings
This video was filmed in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Whoever got the footage wisely stayed in the car. The reserve is a popular location for viewing African wildlife in its natural setting on safari. The video was taken by someone familiar with the area, who added comments about the experience.
“Once the buffalo made a beeline for the lion, the chase started and all we saw was a cloud of dust, the giraffe and the buffalo scattered all over the place. The lion made no return and the sighting ended with a pile of dust and the confused giraffe and buffalo escaped together — And dissatisfied hungry lions.”
This is not the first time they have encountered hunting lions or buffaloes.
“We were all very excited and thought it was going to be our first kill,” the cameraman added. “It was an astonishing sight! We were witnessing – not just a hunt – but a seemingly perfectly planned strategy. We were in a hurry, thinking the buffalo was going straight into Death’s mouth, and then… really Surprise!”
next
- Watch lions hunt the biggest antelope you’ve ever seen
- These lions are too busy arguing so their dinner gets up and walks away
- Watch two male lions play hide and seek over dinner
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.
