Being caught between a pride of lions and a crocodile almost certainly means impending doom. But thanks to help from some friends, this lucky buffalo managed to escape the jaws of death, proving that Cape buffalo may be the toughest animals on the African continent.
The encounter started out normally enough. The lions had been unsuccessfully pursuing a herd of impala when they spotted the lone buffalo at the watering hole. As one of the lions approached, the old bull entered the water for safety — but as it turns out, he was swimming right into the jaws of another predator.
As the buffalo tried to swim across, a hungry crocodile saw an opportunity for its next meal and began lunging and biting at the bull several times as it once again headed back to land, where at least five lions stood patiently waiting.
At this point, Thuli Khumalo, the tour operator who captured the video, can be heard saying, “Its chance of survival is going to be very slim.”
But miraculously, the buffalo managed to keep the lions at a distance until backup arrived and saved the day. Even predators as notorious as lions fear for their lives when facing a herd of buffalo, as those massive horns can gore and kill anything animal that gets too close.
The epic showdown unfolded before a group of tourists at Transport Dam in Kruger National Park. The watering hole is famous for being the site of another epic lion-buffalo-croc faceoff, famously known as the Battle at Kruger.
VIDEO:
