Caught between a rock and a hard place is an understatement.
Kruger National Park in South Africa is pretty much universally recognized as the best safari you can go on.
The nature preserve has a countless number of animals that tourists from around the globe flock to see. From predators like cheetahs and hyenas to universally loved elephants and hippos, there’s something for everyone, but you just need to be aware that you may stumble upon some very disturbing scenes.
We’ve seen hyenas grab buffalo by the manhood and lions take on a leopard to eat a wounded warthog, but there’s perhaps nothing which can compare to the scene that unfolded a few years back where a cape buffalo had to fight off two species of the world’s apex predators to stay alive.
The video begins with a stampede of what I believe to be impala galloping through the woods, clearly trying to get away from some danger before the camera cuts to a lone cape buffalo at the edge of the water.
Right off the bat, this guy senses danger and begins trying to escape, but he quickly finds himself being hunted down by an entire pride of lions.
Obviously, that’s not where he wanted to be, but given buffalo are good swimmers and lions are reluctant at best to get in the water, the buffalo decided to make the smart choice and try to cross the river.
While the video would have been incredible enough if it had stopped there, the best was still yet to come. As the buffalo reached the halfway point, he’s greeted by another of Africa’s scariest creatures: The crocodile.
Coming out of nowhere, the croc begins snapping viciously at the buffalo’s head, attempting to latch on and bring him under the surface, but this isn’t the bull’s first rodeo. He shrugs off attack after attack and begins making his way back to shore, where he’d be safer from the crocodile, but where the lions were patiently waiting in the shade.
There’s one moment where you see the head of the croc behind him and the faces of hungry lions before him where you’re almost certain that this would be the buffalos final day, but as we tend to find out in nature, incredible things can occur.
The buffalo gets out of the water and begins staring down the lions, seemingly liking his chances against at least 5 fully grown lions rather than a lone crocodile, which goes a long way in showing just how deadly those guys are.
The buffalo decides his only course of action is to go on the attack and buy some time, hoping an escape rout will show itself. Cutting back and forth on the land, he actually does begin to run off the lions and create some space for himself when a near miracle occurs.
The buffalo’s herd appeared, hundreds if not thousands of them, and saved the day.
What an incredible display of the will to live. If you ever feel like the deck is stacked against you, come back to this video and give it a watch.
I absolutely promise it’s 5 minutes of time very well spent.
