When a group of hungry lions encounters a buffalo and her young away from their herd, the opportunity for a quick lunch was too much to pass up.

In this harrowing footage shot in Tanzania, the lions circle the buffalo, repeatedly charging the calf while the brave mom races back and forth to drive them off.  But with three against two, that’s a difficult feat for the buffalo.

At one point, one of the lions manages to grab the helpless calf by the neck and runs off to finish the kill. The situation looks bleak … until a herd of buffalo arrives to save the day.

With eight or nine buffalo on the scene, the lions now find themselves outnumbered. They have no choice but to release the calf and retreat.

African or Cape buffalo are found throughout the continent, where they have few predators except for lions, crocodiles, and humans. They typically rely on their large herds for safety, so when they find themselves alone like this pair, it can be quite dangerous. However, these animals have been known to stick together against their attackers, and lions can get injured trying to take them on.

Despite the close call in this video, the baby lives to fight another day — although an experience like that has got to leave a few scars!