Jason Schlosberg and David Budzinski, from National Geographic, found themselves in an amazing filming opportunity in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. While filming at a watering hole, a group of lionesses attacked a young water buffalo, throwing him into the water. As the lionesses began to drag the buffalo out, a crocodile found interest in the situation and snapped at the lions and young calf.
The lions struggled to keep their meal by pulling the poor calf onto dry ground only to be met by a rescue squad…the entire herd of water buffalo! Angered by the attack on their calf, the water buffalo sprang into action, executing ninja like moves on the unsuspecting lionesses; chasing, kicking, and flinging. Check it out:
The capture of such footage was quite amazing. This exhibited a protectiveness that I had grown to think was not present due to the numerous other herd-footage documentaries. From what I had seen in the past, when lions attacked and grabbed a young one, the herd would typically give up the young for dead. Not this time! Go Water Buffalo! w00t w00t!
Thanks to Dee for telling me about this video!
Comments
19 responses to “Kruger National Park: Buffalo vs Lions vs Crocodiles”
this shows when a member of the herd is attacked poticulaly a young offspring, if a buffaloe herd can surouned the attacking lions ,they can defend the calf very effectively, buffaloe are magnificent animals and i look 4ward to seeing them in future documentarys.
THaNK you so much
this is really amazing
What a great show
1 – They are Cape Buffalo
2 – They are a bunch of tourists and not from NatGeo
3 – Buffalo almost *always* come back to defend one of the herd, whether young or old
4 – It’s still a fecking amazing video
sharubu is correct, it was a group of very lucky tourists(right place, right time) and their tour guide. National Geographic has picked up the story and, from what I’ve read, are planning a documentary telling the story of the event. I wonder if the calf survived in the end. I can’t imagine how it wouldn’t have been terribly wounded, having been attacked by so many. A great video, though!
It was NOT filmed by anyone from NatGeo. Please correct this on your site. NatGeo initally turned down the purchase, after getting many hits on youtube, they reconsidered.
Fantastic!!!!
This is what is Kamma in buddhism is all about .even it was born as a bufflo for its bad kamma in the earlier life. it has save some ones life in the earlier life too ……
i ever seen before such vedio this is ammeging and first time when i saw it i couldnt belive on my eyes.this is the best example of strength in unity.
If the spectacle wasn’t so damn unusual would anybody at all be hyping it up the way it has been? It’s not just unusual that such an anomalous specie specific attitude should be converged onto a medium when and where it happened but witnessed and later attested by the “experts” in animal behaviour as most unusual, blah, blah. Despite these types of Buffalo having a great deal more weight than any lion and some rather dangerous looking horns to match, the herd will always rather watch their poor kin go down under the onslaught of numerous lions than do anything to help their kin who will be chewed out from the rectum first as the Buffalo hide is so thick and tough even a lion’s vice grip around the neck will not result in a swift demise for the bigger animal. Why is it so people? Obviously, “better you than me old chum!” And busy lions are not a threat anymore to the rest of the herd that got away. That is quite simple to understand any animal can react to it. BUT what is not so easy for persons to understand is the actual hugely sublime and poignant social metaphor that nature has given us it her infinite wisdom. Hey, it’s all you hyping it up not me, I’m just here with my five cents worth. Consider the concepts of co-incidence better termed ‘convergence of the parties’, consider the innate natures of the species we are dealing with and how the rule of their behaviour is generally if not always The Rule of their innate natures. Three parties here, African Safari, Buffaloes, Lions and Crocodile. All are going about their ‘business’ as usual. Buffaloes perhaps looking for better grassland patures, lions thinking about their next kill as per usual, and here it is. We won’t castigate them for doing what they are born to do, i.e. “Born To Kill”, so they all rush in to grab their meal. Of course they choose the smallest, the weakest, the most defenceless and helpless, the baby Buff.
Obviously the croc didn’t have much to do by way of cleaning up the waterways of dead and decaying animal product, as they never seem to as the constant nature TV shows so often love to show us the bored croc’s takedown of healthy but unfortunate animals who happened to be in the wrong place at the croc’s right time to dine. Oh well, it keeps the numbers of the herd culled down so that the rest of the species can have more, so the commentators tell us. Good crocodile, useful crocodile, gotta love the crocodile, it keeps the waterways safe of the people who might be stupid enough to think that they will take a dip and cool off and actually pollute the clean water with their person, stupid persons, what were you thinking, certainly not “If its got human tastes its earned its place’.
Now for the unusual bit. And it’s not me making documentaries and saying how unusual in nature it is for the Buffaloes to even ‘think’ about herding up and going to the aid of one of their little ones, generally being shit-scared of one lion let alone four hungry ones together. We see how timid they are even in such a large pack with all their weight and all those nasty looking horns. We saw how some of the ones at front get shit-scared and run to the back, we see how though they must realize their superior strength is in numbers, if not size and horns, it is almost like the ones to the back are pushing the front ones to move and act to save the little one still in the claws of only two lions by this stage, two of the Lions having run off and gotten chased away, one almost gored as it was flung to some degree. That brave Buffalo at the very front whose near presence was a push, a coaxing, a fortified heart overcoming its natural fear for the most feared of the Big Predator cats, gave the little Buffalo the frame of mind to escape, when under more usual circumstances it would be having its rectum chewed out and die that most agonisingly undignified of all ways to die on the plains, and even its parents could not overcome their cat fear to go to its aid. There’s a sort of social training out working here, they’ve seen it all before, no-one is dumb enough to approach hungry predators so better you than me (or us), you are our reprieve, for now. Who disagrees with this thus far? Just the facts right?
Now the moral and esoteric bend to this spectacle put on with divine convergence of the parties. The Buffaloes are the Christians, yay, even the Israelite-Gentiles, meek, mild mannered pasture grazers not looking for any trouble, just some nice grazing land to mind their own business on. Do I really need to spell it out as to who the lions are in terms of this natural metaphor, or are you all of “limited Intellect” out there in the Blogosphere? Who doesn’t like Christians the most, (and I’m not referring to Muslims here so don’t tag me racist fool) who likes making perpetual meals out of them? Let us now witness the usual suspect-suspects remove themselves from their web-encrusted crypts of the dead and start defaming me for having a “forbidden view” of the spectacles of nature and her deeper truths. How many see ‘it’, how many see it as a portend and an epiphany resolved into the entire issue of the predator and the game? And how may are stupid twats who will never get it? Show thyself for what you are. We can see.
Amazing video , One surprising fact , when buffalos return and attached lions there was a leader of the group who headed the team ,and bravely fought against the lioness , How he/ she could communicate with fellow buffalos for unity, with such a big group and headed to battle field
Great communication skill
pahaha get your facts right it was amaturs on a tour bus that filmed it :)) gimp :D good video tho :) lions are the best <3
@Xrachel
Lion is the king everyone knows that but see the video closley only one buffalo is attacking all the lion. 1<3.Tat buffalo is the best.
This video shows that unity can do any thing in the world. And if any one deside whats his or her goal then definatly they can do it. This video can be very motivatery film for those person who are very depressed from their life.
If buffalo can fight from six lion than human can do amaging work.
This is truly amazing. Who would have ever imagined that a herd of animals could do such a thing! Please spread it around that the animal world is endlessly fascinating and life-enriching!
Great, impromptu video. The diatribe above, not so great.
oooooo man, i’m filled with respect for the buffalo herd. for once i took the side of not the lions. LOVELY LOVELY!!!
The calf showed it was still alive; and worth the risk and effort to save it, when it stood up and tried to escape. If there’s a metaphor it’s have the courage to fight against overwhelming odds. If you give up, your fait is certain. If you don’t, perhaps the herd will come to your rescue
By unity and determination we can do alot to our world. We can together stop the suffering of the disrupted people. we can overcome the new dictators of iraq like al-Maliki and his gangs who humiliate the poor Iraqis every minute. this video is so amazing for animals unite and attack also they are not built to kill, I can say the proverb ” when there is a will, there is a way.
Man so cool:)