See a Lion Pride Corner a Cape Buffalo Against a River Before A Mad Dash To The Other Side

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This is a superb display of tactical maneuvering by a cape buffalo. On the shores of a large river, this buffalo has found itself surrounded by a lion pride. There are at least 10 lions and only one buffalo – so the odds should not be in its favor. However, it manages to get all of the lions ahead of it while it reverses towards the water.

Now, all it has to do is turn and bolt into the river and swim to the other side. Lions are able to swim but they are not particularly good at it. This pride decides that it is not worth pursuing the buffalo into the water. Instead, they sit on the shore of the river watching their lunch disappear to the other side. Scroll down to see the full extent of the lion’s disappointment!

Where Do African Buffalo Normally Live?

African buffalo have only two requirements for their habitat, they are water and grass. The area in this clip clearly has plenty of both. This means that you will find them in dense lowland forests, as well as lowland rainforests, mountain forests, and grasslands. However, they are also found on coastal savannahs, semi-arid bushland, and plains. The more water in an area, the denser the populations of buffalo it can support. These guys are excellent swimmers and often use water to reach better grazing – even if it is very deep.

How Do Buffalo Escape Predators?

Even though they are herbivores, buffalo are no pushover! Their most obvious defense is that they live in herds and there is safety in numbers. Males are attacked more often because they tend to be on the outside of the herd. Somehow, this individual has been singled out and is therefore in a spot of bother. Then there is ‘flight’ – running away is always an option but will not work if you are surrounded! However, it still has ‘fight’ to fall back on and they are willing to show a lot of aggression. Adult males are the most aggressive and have been known to launch preemptive strikes on lions in the area. Lions do not like being chased by buffalo and have been seen clambering into trees to get away. In the end, this buffalo relied on water to get it out of a tricky situation!