There are certain perks to being one of the world’s deadliest predators. Few animals are willing to bother lions and provoke them. Even fewer animals dare to eat. In this case, we see a herd of lions standing in front of dozens of buffalo.
The video begins with less than ten lions eating the remains of some unfortunate creatures. A herd of buffalo stands in the background, watching the terrifying spectacle unfold. Interestingly, one of the male lions in the pride was relaxing on the sidelines, apparently full. After all, the buffalo is just another meal for the pride of the lion.
Lions seem to care more about their food than invasive buffalo. However, things start to change when the herds line up and get ready to charge.
Several lionesses crawled out of the carcass, ready to pounce on it. When one of the buffaloes gets too close, they growl. Meanwhile, one male was still half asleep and the other continued to eat.
Leo’s pride is almost boiling
©Riaan van den Berg/Shutterstock.com
More and more buffaloes move forward. Now all the lionesses are alert and ready to charge. For a while, the situation seemed to be turning into a fight. Seeing that they would not catch the lions by surprise, the buffalo decided to trot back the same way.
This is also a good thing. A male lion didn’t seem to care, just looked up to see what was going on. The standoff ended in a stalemate.
Next, the video jumps to a different location. A lone lioness runs across the plains, stalking an antelope. The lioness pounced on the animal, but its momentum made the antelope shrug. Antelope starts running and cuts to run to freedom. However, the agile lion was prepared and threw the mammal to the ground.
The antelope stood up, and the lion rode on its back. The antelope took a few steps before the lioness bit it again. This time, the lion bit and twisted, knocking both mammals to the ground.
The video ends with the antelope’s feet in the air, a sure sign that the fight didn’t end as hoped. Two stories in the video show the unique strengths of lions. The confrontation with the buffalo herd showed that the lions were plentiful enough to deter dozens of lions.
The second part of the video demonstrates the power of the individual. Lions are tough alone and even more powerful in packs. Either way, they are very dangerous animals.
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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.
