Now don’t be a scaredy cat…
THE lion may be king of the jungle, but a herd of buffalos certainly showed him who’s boss.
The hunter became the hunted, and the scaredy-cat was forced to run for cover when buffalo he was stalking turned round and struck back.
He had to swallow his pride and sprint away into the bush of the Kruger National Park, after finding himself outnumbered by the massive bovines.
African Cape buffalos can weigh up to a ton and have powerful fused horns so strong that they have sometimes even been known to stop rifle bullets.
Their herds are remarkable for their lack of hierarchy and an apparent altruism that makes them fiercely protective of calves and weaker members.
When chased by predators the herd sticks close together, calves gathered in the middle, to make it hard for any one member to be picked off.
They fight off threats, as in this instance, by forming a mob and charging at predators with superior weight and numbers.
Buffalos have been recorded chasing lions up a tree and keep- ing them there for as long as two hours. Lion cubs unlucky enough to get in the way can get trampled and killed.
This not-so-cunning cat was lucky enough to make his escape with his tail between his legs after the tables turned when he tried to pounce on this herd.
Photographer Dave Woollacott captured the fear etched on the lion’s face as he frantically tried to escape the furious buffalos.
Woollacott was travelling with his wife, celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary, when he spotted the extraordinary scene.
“It was dusk and the sky was heavy with cloud when we started to leave the park through the Phabeni Gate,” he said.
“Suddenly we came across a herd of Cape buffalos in a dry riverbed.
“We watched as the lion tried to attack from the left bank. But the buffalos outnumbered him, and they chased the frightened lion across the riverbed and into the undergrowth.” – Daily Mail