We’re so used to seeing lions and lionesses as the kings and queens of the jungle that we forget there are formidable opponents around every corner. In this dramatic footage, we witness a lion attempt to take down a young African buffalo. But the lioness didn’t seem to count on the calf’s mother to step in.

Even though scenes like these are just a part of the circle of life, it’s almost impossible to not root for the mother and calf pair. As all seems lost for the calf, its mother steps in and uses its horns to powerfully ram the lion away from the calf.

The African Buffalo, or Cape Buffalo, often makes use of its large horns to defend itself from predators such as lions, hyenas, and crocodiles. Adult buffalos are easily recognized by their infamous horns, which are fused to the base of the animal’s skull, forming a continuous bone shield. Also called ‘bosses’, they are perfect to protect buffaloes from any perceived threats.

But don’t be mistaken – these animals are far from underdogs of the savannah. They are regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, killing more than 200 people every year.

So while the lion is often seen as sitting confidently on the top of the food chain, in this instance this lone female lion was no match for the adult buffalo.

This isn’t the first time we have seen something like this! The following is the moment a lion got more than it bargained for when it was impaled on the horn of an angry buffalo and tossed into the air.

Images: Mariangela Matarazzo Lee/Caters News

A herd of buffalos had fallen victim to a pride of hungry lions, a fight ensued and one of the buffalos was injured in the attack.

The injured buffalo can be seen being pinned down by the pack of lions and in a bid to rescue his injured friend another buffalo charged towards the lions.

One of the lions ran towards the buffalo in an attempt to tackle it to the ground.

But the lion was struck by the angry buffalo, impaled on it’s horn and flung into the air.

Photographer Mariangela Matarazzo Lee captured the dramatic scenes on camera. CREDIT: MARIANGELA MATARAZZO LEE/ CATERS NEWS

Watch more: Buffalo Launches Lion