This dramatic scene was recorded by Matthew Durell during a tour in Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Specifically, two male lions aggressively chased a large herd of buffalo to find a suitable prey. It is not uncommon for lions to pursue herds of buffalo as this is their favorite target.
Young calves or old and weak buffaloes in the herd are often the prey targeted by lions. Once they have located their prey, lions will stalk until they are close enough to launch a surprise attack.
Chaos erupted as the lions charged into the herd. They quickly caught a baby calf. However, when the whole herd had not yet enjoyed victory, the whole herd of buffaloes came.
Adult buffaloes take turns attacking the hunter, while forming a tight circle to protect the weaker members of the herd.
However, while rushing to attack the lion, an adult buffalo mistakenly hit the calf, causing it to be thrown into the air.
“While trying to save the calf, a buffalo used its horn to hook the calf’s body and throw it into the air. Perhaps it thought it was attacking a lion. Luckily for the calf, this was an opportunity let it escape. The calf then got up and returned to the herd safely,” said Matthew Durell.
