This dramatic animal sighting scene unfolds as two buffalo and 20 elephants challenge 22 lions – and will end up no match for the big cats!
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This incident took place in bad bad in great kruger.
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field guide Gareth van Rooyen was incredibly lucky to witness this sighting and shared the story with LatestSightings.com.
“We had just finished brunch after a successful morning drive when we heard calls for help from a buffalo being hunted across the Sand River from the main MalaMala camp. I called my guests and asked if they were interested in coming out again to witness the scene; they were very interested.
“It took us no more than 5 minutes to reach the site where the 22 members of the Kambula herd were hunting an adult buffalo bull. We were full of adrenaline and absorbed by what was unfolding before us.
“It took around 2 hours for the lions to bring this buffalo down and although this is a natural occurrence in the ecosystem, their helpless moans and groans made observation difficult. Finally, when the buffalo ran out of steam, it drew its last breath and the lions began to feed.
“Shortly after the death of the buffalo, a herd of elephants approached the place and they were not happy with what was in front of them. They reacted to the smell of death and lions and tried to drive the lions away from the carcass. The lions relented at first, but one of the subadult males decided to charge the elephants, catching them off guard.
“The elephants milled around the area for a bit longer, apparently deciding what to do next. Finally they chose to go down to the river below. The lions fed on the buffalo for the next day and a half, providing much-needed sustenance for the large pride.
“Although this interaction occurs daily in the Greater Kruger National Park, accessing a sighting of this nature is relatively rare. Fortunately, working in the game-rich MalaMala Game Reserve, I have had the pleasure of witnessing many of these interactions.
“My advice to anyone going on safari is to bring a bean bag – place your camera on top of the bean bag once on a sighting. This will keep it nice and stable. Let the camera roll and relax and enjoy the sighting.”