Check Out Video Of Buffalo Bull Fending Of Crocodile And Lion Pride 

An adult Cape buffalo can weigh up to 900 kilos which is the equivalent of a small car. This means it is going to be tough to take down even for the most ambitious of predators. A group of tourists on safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park recently had the opportunity to witness the steely resolve of this animal first hand when they saw an old bull do battle and survive an attack from a lion pride and crocodile.

Stick around when you see a lion pride waiting in ambush

The guide who was steering a vehicle filled with tourists took the group to the banks of Transport Dam which is a favourite watering hold from grazers like impala, zebra and buffalo. With so much prey on offer, it should come as no surprise that predators are never far away and the group soon spotted a lion pride lying in ambush in a patch of shade overlooking the water. Whenever you spot a lion pride hiding near a waterhole, it is a good idea to wait and watch because they are opportunistic hunters willing to attack anything that wanders too close.

First the crocodile attacks

The lion pride was unsuccessful at its initial attempt on an impala herd so they turned their attention towards an old buffalo bull standing at the edge of the water. The bull was no fool and was aware of the intentions of the lion pride so retreated into the water in a bid to escape which proved futile because it was immediately attacked by a crocodile sending him back to the shore. Whilst the crocodile probably wasn’t targeting the buffalo due to its size, these dinosaurs will snap at anything in the hopes of tearing off piece of meat, and not even an animal the size of an elephant is safe.

Then the lions hit the bull with all they had

Back on land the buffalo bull found himself in a position of needing to defend himself from multiple charges by the lion pride. The big cats certainly had numbers on their side and used them to surround the bull making it virtually impossible for him to retreat. Fortunately for the old man the cavalry soon arrived with a huge herd making its way to the dam, spotting the commotion and charging to the rescue.

The herd comes to the rescue

For a lion pride, just attacking a singe adult buffalo is a calculated risk. Should their attempt succeed, there is enough food for the whole pride. But a buffalo is certainly no simple target and even if the pride does manage to bring one down without being injured by its horns, the distress calls emitted by the buffalo usually draws in the rest of the herd to the rescue.

This scene plays out regularly

In the wilds of Africa, this sort of battle between buffalo and lions plays out regularly and whilst they are rarely witnessed, this is certainly not the first time a massive herbivore has taken on a group of big cats. There was footage shot at the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve showing a herd also rescuing one of their own from a lion pride and this is the perfect example of a group working as a single unit to ensure a member in peril is protected.