Recently there was great excitement emerging from the dry landscape of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve near Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp. Excitement that only lions could evoke. nThambo guests were on drive with guide, Matt Roberts, and Africa on Foot guests with guide, Francois Pienaar, traversing the familiar area and keeping a look out for tracks and signs leading to the lions. As explained by both guides in this incredible video of this event, the Ross Pride was seen stalking a herd of buffalo.
Suddenly, there was an attempt made by Ross Pride females, Mila and Lisa, and their ±1 year-old cubs to take down a young buffalo cow. The battle between buffaloes and lions is undying and it is always a tough fight; often leaving the lions hungry and the buffalo frazzled and exhausted. This cow got away…but this was not the end. Only moments later, the Ross Pride lionesses attacked an injured buffalo, and the 30-minute long struggle began.
Guests Sam Royston and Paul Dickinson were on the game vehicle at this very lucky time and captured the whole event on camera, getting some incredible photos of the brutal scene. There was a surprise lingering in the near future for the Ross Pride, in the form of 4 sub-adult male lions – strangers in the neighbourhood – who barged in on their fight and chased them off their nearly-dead buffalo prize. It was later speculated that the 4 young males belong to the Machaton Pride known in the Timbavati.
No-one predicted this sequence of events, but we are very grateful to Paul Dickinson for supplying us with his photos of this incredible act of nature. What an exceptional, if not horrific, sighting that is surely to remain in guests’ memories forever. Enjoy! All images copyright of Paul Dickinson. Watch the full video of the take-down here. Video by Kevin MacLaughlin.
Enter the 4 sub-adult males thought to be from the Machaton Pride of the Timbavati. The Ross Pride has done all of the hard work and these males came in an intimidated them off their kill, taking the final fight out of the buffalo and killing it. They then stayed on the kill until they were chased off by the Trilogy Males known to be mating with the Ross Pride females. The Trilogy Males did not even eat this buffalo, as they had already gorged themselves on their own buffalo kill that took place in the same area – at this stage, unbeknown to the rangers and guests who were present at this kill site.
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