Herd of Buffalo Trap a Young Inexperienced Male Lion in a Tree and Bite at His Behind
This young male lion is getting a taste of what it feels like to be hunted. In a complete switch of roles, he has been pursued by a herd of buffalo and has made some poor decisions. He thought that it would be safe to hide out in the tree, but this just made him a sitting target for some unwanted bovine attention. The siege continues for quite some time but eventually, the buffalo loses interest so the lion can climb down and slink away – trying his best not to be noticed.
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Do Lions Normally Eat Buffalos?
Lions are carnivores and are opportunistic predators. They will eat just about anything that they can manage to catch. That includes large animals such as zebra and much smaller animals including insects.
Buffalo would certainly be on the lion’s menu if they can catch one! Buffalos are large creatures with a lot of attitude and lions find them very challenging to catch. A lone lion would find it very difficult to bring down an adult, fit buffalo. However, when lion prides work as part of a team, they can be successful. They are more likely to get a meal if they target an old, sick, or very young buffalo. The key to their success is to isolate the vulnerable individual so that there are no herd members around to protect it. Then, they need to drag the herbivore to the ground in order to kill it.
Do Buffalos Normally Attack Lions?
©iStock.com/Mark Haeussler
Yes, it is common for buffalos to take a proactive approach when it comes to defending themselves against lions. They do not like to see lions in the area where they are grazing and will do their best to drive them away. Buffalos are well-equipped to deal with predators. They are very large and heavy animals with sharp hooves, and they have pointed horns. They also have very strong necks and are able to hurl a lion into the air before trampling on it.
Lions can get killed whilst trying to hunt buffalos. There is also safety in numbers for this herd animal and they stick up for each other. If one buffalo is in trouble and is being attacked by a lion, the rest of the herd will come racing and join in the confrontation. Even a pride of lions cannot take on a whole herd of buffalo and know when they are beaten.
