After a hunt went wrong for the Nkuhuma lion pride, there was drama as a herd of buffaloes trample one of the old Northern Avoca Male Lions and leave him battered and bruised.
24-year-old field guide Deon Kelbrick was witness to the potential fall of an empire when he and guests from Nkorho Bush lodge were out on a morning safari in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Deon tinged and shared this heartbreaking sighting with LatestSightings.com.
“In the early hours of Wednesday morning, my guests and I set out in search of Africa’s iconic lions. Soon after leaving the comfort of the lodge, we were on the trail of the sub-adults of the Nkuhuma lion pride. They were hungry and determined and were trailing a large herd of Buffaloes.”
Lions have adapted incredibly to hunting large prey. This is because they are the only big cats in Africa that live in social structures known as a pride. Essentially, hunting big prey is the best way to feed 7 hungry bellies.
“Having hunted many buffalo over the years, the Nkuhumas were no strangers to singling out the weakest link and capitalizing on it. On this occasion, one of the buffaloes found herself cornered by claws and canines – surely this was the end.”
“At this point, we thought it was all over, but the distress call of this lone buffalo echoed across the bush, and to her relief, a stampeding herd of Buffalo responded to the call.”
“Unfortunately for the lions. The infamous Dark Maned Avoca male lion was now entrapped. Stampeding hooves of hundreds of angry and agitated buffaloes surrounded him!”
Buffaloes are one of the few animals in Africa that can put a lion in its place. Their large horns and incredible body mass make them formidable opponents. All things considered, lions put aside the risk factor for a couple of hundred pounds of buffalo steaks.
“Dark Mane Avoca, one of the pride males, with nowhere to go and engulfed with fear, trembled. Eventually, he scurried to the safety of some nearby bushes, however, the hatred of the buffaloes made this herd persist. The lion was being tossed through the air like a rag doll, gorged by horns and trampled by hooves.”
“The ordeal cont inued for 15 minutes. It was now clear the male lion had come out second-best. Luckily for him, his deep bellowing calls for help caught the attention of his pride, and they returned, scaring the buffaloes off.”
“Stunned and left with a mix of emotions, my guests and I returned to camp to process the morning’s events. In the end, when we returned to the crime scene later that day, we found the Nkuhuma Pride along with Dark Mane Avoca. He was clearly in a dire state, licking his wounds.”
Not agile enough due to an old wound, the lion got stuck in the middle of a herd of hundreds of buffaloes and was constantly trampled and rammed into the air.
SOUTH AFRICA Not being agile enough due to an old wound, the lion got stuck in the middle of a herd of hundreds of buffaloes and was constantly trampled and rammed into the air.
Tour guide Deon Kelbrick recorded the scene of a predator turning into a victim in the Sabi Sands nature reserve, South Africa, Latest Sightings reported on November 17.
“Early in the morning, the tourists and I set out in search of the iconic lions of Africa. Not long after leaving the camp, we tried to track down the lions in the Nkuhuma herd. They were hungry. belly and was following a large herd of buffalo,” Kelbrick said.
Lions are well adapted to hunting large prey because they are the only big cat in Africa to live in groups. Hunting large prey is also the best way to get enough food for 7 hungry lions.
“With the experience of hunting many buffalo over the years, the Nkuhuma herd is no stranger to choosing the weakest link and taking advantage of it. This time, a buffalo was also cornered by the claws and fangs of a lion.” , Kelbrick said.
Kelbrick and the tour group thought it was over, but the buffalo’s pitiful cry was answered. Hundreds of buffaloes rushed forward, leaving the male lion Dark Maned Avoca, already injured, unable to escape and trapped in the middle of the agitated buffalo herd.
Buffalo is one of the few creatures in Africa that can cause trouble for lions. Their large horns and massive body mass make them formidable opponents. Lions have to take risks when they want to win hundreds of kilograms of buffalo meat.
“Dark Mane Avoca, one of the lions’ males, didn’t know where to go and was filled with fear. Finally, it ran to the nearby bushes for shelter, but hostility kept the buffalo herd from giving up. The lion was flung into the air like a cloth doll, hit by its horns and trampled on by a series of hooves,” Kelbrick said.
The incident continued for about 15 minutes. Then, the cry of Dark Mane Avoca caught the attention of the lions and turned to chase away the buffalo.
After the incident, the tour group left with mixed emotions, Kelbrick shared. When they returned at the end of the day, they found Dark Mane Avoca still with the Nkuhuma herd but severely injured. “Despite our grief, we should always remember that this is a wild place, nature is sometimes cruel and survival will always be a battle. The male lion has survived the past four years with a limp. and will fight to the last breath,” Kelbrick said.