Is this angry lion charging the vehicle?

Is this angry lion charging the vehicle?

Sara • 08/21/2023

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@matt_meyer_africa our Co-Owner tells us the story.

I was still working at Mala Mala and enjoying a morning coffee with guests when we heard a buffalo bellowing loudly close to Sable Camp. We quickly jumped in the vehicle and followed up on the calls.

We found the poor buffalo being ripped from the hind legs by a male lion but then to add further intrigue, we looked up and saw a male leopard resting on the river bank surveying the scene.

What we think happened is the leopard had snuck up on the sleeping buffalo and attacked and ripped off his testicals. The bellowing of the buffalo must have attracted this male lion who had quickly taken charge of the wounded buffalo.

The bellowing continued for about 30 – 40 mins which then attracted 3 different clans of hyenas!

This amounted to about 60 hyenas trying to chase off the lion. Meanwhile, the poor buffalo had buried himself in a thicket and the only way in was where the lion stood. So the lion would go in for a bite of the buffalo, then the hyenas would nip at his tail to which he he would snarl, charge and angrily attack them.

Eventually the poor buffalo died from his injuries and the lion was chased off by the haranguing hyena clans who made quick pickings of the buffalo.

Can you imagine this was your first sighting on a game drive?

No two game drives are the same and it’s incredible how one day the bush can seem so quiet and on another, there are 3 of the Big 5 in one sighting!