Dramatic Footage Shows Buffalo Escaping Lion Attack After Herd Swoops In To Save Her

Incredible footage has emerged that captures a buffalo’s dramatic escape from a pride of hungry lions — an escape made possible thanks to the actions of her herd.The video, captured recently on the sprawling grounds of Kruger National Park in South Africa, shows a female buffalo surrounded by four lionesses. After a brief struggle to remain upright, the buffalo is eventually brought to the ground and subdued.

But just when it seems all hope of survival has been lost, something quite remarkable happens; four other buffalo — well out of harm’s way — return to confront the lions, driving them off the female with a single charge.

Lions Attack Buffaloes - Another Battle at Kruger

Similar scenes between buffalo and lions have been captured on film only a handful of times, but this sort of behavior is not entirely uncommon, says Wayne M. Getz, Ph.D., a wildlife behaviorist at the University of California, Berkeley. In fact, Getz, who conducts research on the animals at Kruger National Park, told The Dodo he’s seen buffalo come to the rescue in this manner on several occasions.

“The buffalo being attacked in the video is a female, and those driving the lions away are young males. They will often intervene when there’s a calf or younger female involved,” says Getz. “While some people may call this behavior ‘altruism,’ that term should be used in quotes here. By protecting this female from predation, they are, in effect, helping to secure the reproductive future of the herd.”

African buffalo, with their broad, sharpened horns, are uniquely equipped to come to the aid of their fallen herd members. And fortunately for the female under attack, they stepped in without a moment to spare.

“Lionesses, like the four seen in the video, are no match for a group of male buffalo, which is why they seem so wary. You can see them scatter after the initial blow,” says Getz. “The males arrived just in time, as you can see, since the female runs off prior to being mortally wounded.”

Kruger National Park is the setting for perhaps the most famous footage of a buffalo herd defending their kind from attack. This video, titled “Battle at Kruger,” is among the most-viewed nature videos on YouTube —it's been watched more than 75 million times since it was uploaded to the site in 2007.

Battle at Kruger

Lion fight at Cheetah Plains in Sabi Sand

This series of photos was taken in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve in South Africa a few days ago, when Justin Glanvill, field guide at Cheetah Plains, managed to capture an episode of Africa’s most vicious battles. A lion fight broke out between two males; one, older and donning a more prestigious looking mane, and a second, looking slightly younger and less experienced than his opponent.

The younger male, bloodied, but still prepared to fight, bears his teeth ferociously at his opponent, who responds with his size and stature. Witnesses reported that the eruptive brawl had carried on for a couple of hours, typically tiring both males out, until one gives in and submits to the stronger lion.

Two lionesses had been hanging back throughout the brawl between the males and at this point started to inch closer, bearing their teeth threateningly and preparing what looked like to jump to the defense of the younger male. The larger male had approached the pride of 2 adult females, 2 sub-adult females and another young male; commencing mating with the 2 adult lionesses. In defense of their pride leader, these lionesses stepped in and one reportedly swiped the opposition male with a strong paw.

Ultimately, the scuffle seemed to die down, the opponents separated and the older male went to replenish himself at the nearby waterhole. Photographer and field guide, Justin Glanvill, suggests that this “spectacular” interaction is the result of the older male wanting to instigate a coalition with the younger male, rather than wanting to kill. He added, “Forming a coalition with the younger males would make sense, as otherwise he doesn’t stand a chance.” It’s survival of the fittest in the lion world and this is a magnificent display of just that.

Battle for pride: Two fearsome lions fight it out for pack supremacy as they claw at each other's eyes

Two fearsome male lions fight it out for supremacy and mating rights within their pride as they wrestle in the wilderness.They reared up on their hind legs, bit and clawed at each other's face and eyes and tussled in the dirt.Photographer Kenneth Watkins, 64, watched in awe from just 30 yards away as the noisy battled played out.

Brawl of the wild: Two male lions rear up on their hind legs as they fight it out for supremacy and mating rights

Brutal: One of the lions claws at the eyes of the other as they fight at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe

He was on safari at the Ngweshla Picnic site at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, with his wife and their guide.Insurance consultant Kenneth said: 'They are two adult males who recently formed a loose coalition with three adult females.

'We believe the fight was to establish dominance between the two males. It was very noisy, and lasted about 20 seconds.'The older and darker maned lion had been mating with one of the three females earlier in the week.

'Once the older lion thought he had established dominance the two males went their separate ways.

'The youngster kept a reasonable distance for the rest of the day. He probably minor scratches but there was not very much blood.'Kenneth, originally from Sidcup, Kent, but now living in Greyton, South Africa, added: 'It was remarkable to watch, because in 15 years of safari, we had never seen lions fighting.

'Lions very rarely pay any attention to people in an open safari vehicle, so we were not at all scared.

'Lions are marvelous animals, unfortunately for photography they are mostly asleep, so to get some action was highly pleasing.'

Fighting for the pride

A lion pride has a complex social structure. When males fight for the dominance of a pride it can be a very traumatic experience with the new dominant male killing cubs and often younger members of the pride or even females who refuse to mate with him.

When in Madikwe I came across a pride of lions lounging in the bush and off to the left we could see a young male and a little further on an older male was mounting a female.

The old male turned and we could see he had a very deep wound to his face and it appeared he had lost his eye.

We then looked to the younger male and could see that he too had wounds on his face. It appeared that they had been fighting with each other

The next morning we returned to the area and found the pride again. The young male was no longer with the pride and we could more clearly see the wounds on the old male’s face. They were clearly very painful as he was salivating and kept rubbing his face. He had not lost his eye but it was a very close call.

The cubs were still playing, seemingly oblivious to the previous days events and quite possibly the fate that would have been theirs had the old male lost. Females lay scattered except for one large lioness who seemed to have won the affection of the male. A young cub walked up to her and with a snarl she sent him off. It was time for more serious things than play time.

We watched the pride for a long time and it was one of those rare privileges that the wild offers us from time to time. My head turned one last time as the pride disappeared within the bush and we bumped back onto the road. I could not help but wonder how many more fights this old male would win or if he would even recover from his wounds.

Lion fight! - Pride - BBC animal drama

Man Attempts To Hug a Wild Lion. What Happens Next Stunned Me

Kevin Richardson is a South African zookeeper renowned for being so intimate with lions that he has been accepted into several prides. Kevin understands these lions at a fundamental level: their behavior, instinct, emotion.Kevin has slept, fed, and lived next to lions, having worked with many of them since they were cubs.

He trusts lions enough to stick his arm in their mouth!

Kevin leverages his ability to help prevent these lions from being poached. As you can see from video below, these cats have a much gentler side as well.

Kevin truly sees the lions as equals. Watch the incredible video below for more!

Lions - The New Endangered Species?

Giraffe mother uses its long limbs to fend off entire pride of lions and save its young calf

Any mother would stick their neck out to defend a child.But this giraffe goes beyond the call of duty for her calf, taking on an entire pride of lions - and winning.The tall creature, filmed at the Olare Conservancy in the Masai Mara reserve, Kenya, was caught on camera as the ravenous predators saunter towards it.

The patient hunter: The lions then try to approach from behind, but are repelled

Turnaround: The dramatic confrontation, in a Kenyan safari park, continued for around half an hour

But the giraffe, which has its offspring sheltering between its legs, seemed in no mood for letting the lions win their meal.When the beasts, moving as one, start to bolt towards her, she fends them all off by aggressively waving her long legs towards them.A tense stalemate follows, after which the lions remember that discretion is the better part of valour and move on.The encounter was captured by tourists Bill and Barbara Westbrook on a visit to the Kicheche Bush Camp.

The couple, from Queensland, Australia, often visit the park but say this is the most incredible encounter they have seen.Mrs Westbrook said: 'This was remarkable, going on for almost half an hour as the mother protected her calf ferociously from the young pride.'It was heart-in-the-mouth stuff as we felt we might be witnessing something brutal as the casual menace of the sub-adult lions showed little signs of abating.'Eventually the giraffes got away and we breathed again.'

Kicheche Co-owner and photographer guide Paul Goldstein said: 'Somehow Barbara managed to keep the camera still during all this drama.'I am supremely jealous of this encounter but also very happy for them, next time they come over I will stick to them like glue.'

Lions Killing Hyenas

This video of lions killing hyenas shows that the relationship between hyenas and lions in areas where they coexist is unique in its complexity and intensity.Lions and hyenas are both apex predators which feed on the same prey, and are therefore in direct competition with one other. As such, they will often fight over and steal each others' kills.Though it is popularly assumed that hyenas are opportunistic scavengers whichprofit from the lion's hunting abilities, it is quite often the case that the reversal is true.

Two males Lions kills Hyena

The feud between the two species does however seem to encompass more than just battles over food.In the animal kingdom, the territorial boundaries of another species are usually disregarded. Hyenas and lions are an exception to this seeing as they set boundaries against each other as they would against members of their same species.

Male lions are extremely aggressive toward hyenas, and as you have seen in this lions and hyenas video, hunt and kill hyenas without eating them.Conversely, hyenas are major predators of lion cubs. When attacking adults, hyenas go after groups of females or better yet, a single female. However healthy adult males, even single ones, are generally avoided at all costs.