Watch: Buffalo strolls right up to crouching lion leaving the cat confused
Lions and buffaloes are formidable adversaries. The big cats are experts at ambushing their prey and working together to secure a large meal, but buffaloes are powerful animals that rarely let their guard down. Occasionally though, neither predator nor prey get it right and the results are, well, a little comical:
Tourist Faizal Shariff Noor, along with his cousin and nephew, witnessed this confusing altercation on a recent game drive in the southern section of South Africa’s Kruger National Park. They initially spotted two members of the pride charging at the buffaloes, creating a commotion and unsettling the herd. “We then noticed another lion approaching from the opposite side and were expecting an ambush,” Noor told Latest Sightings who recently shared the footage.
Things didn’t go quite as expected, however. One of the buffaloes sauntered to within a few metres of the crouching cat, seemingly unaware of the predator’s presence. Perhaps unsure how to respond to the buffalo’s brazen approach, the lioness momentarily retreated revealing her position and startling the oblivious grazer. After a brief standoff, the buffalo bolted, triggering the lioness to pursue, but with her cover blown the chances of a successful hunt were minimal and the chase ended in dust and disappointment for the big cats.
“It was such an amazing sight,” Noor recalled. “We were witnessing – not just a hunt – but what seemed like a perfectly planned strategy. We got anxious and thought the buffalo [was] walking straight into the jaws of death and then … well, what a surprise!”