Buffalo escapes from lions

This video from South Africa says about itself:

17 November 2016

This video is one of those that captured a sight that will never happen again…

The footage shows how the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, plays its part in this poor buffalo’s life as a lioness, from a different pride from the lions killing it, indirectly saves its life.

Mike Kirkman, a professional guide at Mala Mala Private Game Reserve, filmed this once in a lifetime scene while guiding a drive with guests in the Mala Mala consession in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Mike isn’t a newbie to lion vs buffalo videos, he also sent in this outstandingly rare footage that has been viewed 2.4 million times. A video that he too submitted to our Film and Earn program, our program where amatuer and professional wildlife film-makers can earn revenue from their footage.

Adding to his luck, he saw another sighting recently where he got to film two rival prides of lion attacking and catching the same buffalo cow.

Mike was at a sighting where he was watching the two prides of lions a close distance apart from each other. One pride was given the name “Eyrefield” pride and the other the “Matshapiri” pride. The Lionesses of the Eyrefield pride chased the buffalo through the riverbed in a spectacular fashion, and caught one buffalo that couldn’t make it up the embankment in time. Then males of the Matshapiri pride saw an opportunity for a meal and quickly run over to help the lionesses bring down the buffalo.

When everyone watching thinks that it’s all over, that the buffalo is dead and the lions are going to have a filling meal, a lioness, belonging to the Matshapiri pride, tries to sneak in and join the action.

The rivalry between the two prides doesn’t let the Eyrefield lioness tolerate this and a huge fight ensues with all the lions attacking one another regardless of which side they are on. One even sees that not only do the two males attack one another, but also they attack the lioness on their own team.

This is now where the emotions in the viewer rise up!

In all this confusion, the buffalo gets up and makes her escape while the lions run after one another roaring.

It is like nothing even happened.