• Buffalo herds split into smaller groups to confuse predators.
• Lone male lion attempts to hunt a buffalo, leading to a struggle.
• Rescued buffalo escapes to safety with the herd’s help.

There are many videos on the internet that show wild animals in their natural habitat. There are also videos that show animals stalking their prey in difficult circumstances. Among the numerous such videos, one in particular caught the attention of many. A lion is seen attacking a buffalo in the footage. What makes this video even more remarkable is how it catches the brave gesture of a buffalo rescue its friend from the jaws of the lion.

“Buffalo headbutts fellow buffalo to save it from a male lion,” reads the caption placed beside the footage shared on the Maasai Sightings YouTube page. The video’s description explains the behaviours of buffalo herds when a predator attacks them. “Buffalo herds move as a unit, but when a predator attacks, they split into smaller groups to confuse the predator and make it more difficult for him to target his prey.” Buffalo use their herd size to attack and kill lions. Although buffalo are not the largest prey that lions are known to seek, this does not make them any less lethal. “Filmed in Masai Mara via Okavango camps,” the description says.

The video begins with a nomadic male lion going alone towards a buffalo to hunt it down. The lion pounces on the buffalo as the film progresses, and the struggle begins. The buffalo fights valiantly, but the lion will not let go. Suddenly, two additional buffaloes appear out of nowhere to save their companion buffalo. One of the buffaloes then headbutts the other buffalo, allowing it to stand and flee the lion’s jaws. The buffalo ultimately rises and flees to safety near the end.

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