Incredible footage shows the moment two lions tried to take down a lone buffalo – before his feisty friends came to the rescue.
The lions undoubtedly thought it would be an easy dinner when they spotted the injured buffalo – but they weren’t counting on a huge herd of the massive beasts rushing to chase them off.
At the beginning of the clip, the hungry lions are seen going in for the kill, as the buffalo does its best to fight off his attackers.
Herd chases away two lions who tried taking down a lone buffalo
Going in for the kill: The buffalo does its best to fight off his attackers
One of the lions takes the buffalo by surprise and jumps onto its back. Together, the predators manage to drag their prey to the ground and proceed to dig their fangs into the helpless animal
For a moment, it looks like he is succeeding and the lions back away. But one of the lions takes the buffalo by surprise and jumps onto its back.
Together, the predators manage to drag their prey to the ground and proceed to dig their fangs into the helpless animal.
But as the buffalo cries out in distress, his friends come running back to fight off the predators.
Overpowered, the lions are forced to slink off without any dinner.
Not so fast! As the buffalo cries out in distress, his friends come running back to fight off the predators
Run for your life: Realising he is overpowered, the lion runs away from the buffalo herd in fear
The incredible scenes were caught on camera by student ranger Oliver Lane, at the Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in Hoedspruit, in South Africa’s Limpopo province.
Oliver had been on a morning game drive with his tracker Ephraim and guests from the lodge when they witnessed the brutal fight, which was just 25 metres from their vehicle.