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Being taken off guard is never fun. Whether it is walking down a dark alley with someone appearing, getting out of the car and a stranger meets you, or simply walking out of your bedroom, your spouse scares you.
Well, in the wild, it goes much deeper than just not being fun to be surprised by another animal. It can often turn fatal quickly. Watch the video above, where a buffalo could sneak up behind a pride of lions.Â
Lion Pride Sighting in Nairobi
The YouTube clip at the top of this blog post takes us to Nairobi in Kenya, Africa. The WD YouTube page shared this video. The guy who runs this channel shares wildlife videos. The most recent footage he shares is of a mother cheetah and her cub, a lioness after hunting, and a male ostrich surrounded by his chicks.
Buffalo Bull Sneaking Up on Lions
As the video starts we see a lion pride on a path in the Nairobi National Park. This is a self-guided safari tour that tourists can take on their own. Once these tourists caught sight of this beautiful pride, they just had to stop to film and see what they might do.Â
As the pride looks at the tourists, they are completely oblivious that behind them is a massive buffalo bull approaching. And where we might assume this buffalo should take off running, they know these young lions are no match for his brutal strength.Â
The lions start to meander off, then suddenly look behind themselves to see this bull sneaking up. Instead of rushing off, these lions walk straight toward the bull. We can see the bull progressing because he expects the lions to disperse. He quickly realizes he was wrong, and these lions mean business. The bull starts running, and the video ends with the lions in hot pursuit!
Who is Stronger, Buffalo or Lion?
When we look at these two animals, we can’t just think of the lion as the king of the jungle and assume he will come out on top. The buffalo is a mammal that has a lot going for them. They are huge.
Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) of the genus Syncerus weigh anywhere from 1,300-2,000 pounds. They also carry two curved horns on their head that they will use to defend themselves from predators. The African Wildlife Foundation states, “The horns are formidable weapons against predators and are used when jostling for space within the herd.”
Lions (Panthera leo) of the genus Panthera are much smaller, weighing only 250-550 pounds. However, they do have the incredible strength of their claws, which reach an inch and a half and are deadly in a fight. And the endurance to run up to bursts of speeds of 50 miles per hour.Â
One-on-one, a buffalo is stronger than a lion. However, because lions hunt in prides, they are stronger than buffaloes and can overpower them. And this lone bull in the video above made the mistake of thinking these lions wouldn’t attempt to chase him down. They knew they had the numbers and were stronger.Â
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