Lions don’t disappoint. Somehow they always deliver a spectacle, and when we are lucky enough to see them up to their lion-mischief, it usually results in a large dose of ‘sit down and grab your popcorn’ action. This latest example starts off as what seems to be a classic lion encounter: four lions bring down a large buffalo with relative ease, taking care to avoid those big horns at the front end. Once the buffalo is down and appears to be out for the count, a curve-ball is thrown.

What may not be too obvious, is that the two females in the video are from one pride, and the two males are from a separate pride. In a strange stroke of luck, the females had driven the herd into the two males, allowing them all to make a kill. The four of these are seemingly happy to share this meal, and as they are finishing the poor buffalo off there seems to be no issues.

This all changes when a female from the male’s pride wants in.

Predictably, the males have no problem with their female getting involved, but instantly one of the other females looks far from impressed. After a second or two, she runs around the buffalo and confronts the new female, and all hell breaks loose. In a massive stroke of luck the buffalo gets up and runs off — although the extent to its injuries is not clear.

This fight is not surprising, as prides of lions are actually organized around the females in the groups and not the males, with the males coming and going more often than females. The females in a pride do not usually tolerate outside females messing with their group, causing fights such as this one.

Video:

If you need more lion versus buffalo action, watch a lion take down a buffalo right in the middle of the road, surprising a group of tourists.

Filmed in the Mala Mala Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa.