Battle at Kruger - Lions vs. Buffalo vs.
Crocodiles
This is the Battle at Kruger. This is an amazing battle
between a pride of lions and a heard of buffalo. When the lions
capture the baby buffalo, they think the battle is over - but
really it's just begun. An army of buffaloes come back in a
mobilized front to take the baby back. For good measure, a
couple of crocodiles join the foray, but don't make much of an
impact.
The Facts:
Battle at Kruger is a viral video which was widely praised for
its dramatic depiction of life on the African savannah.
It was also the subject of an article in the June 25, 2007 issue
of Time Magazine and was featured in the first episode of ABC
News' i-Caught, aired on August 7, 2007. A National Geographic
documentary is also planned. Filmed in September 2004 by
videographer David Budzinski and photographer Jason Schlosberg
at a watering hole in Kruger National Park, South Africa, the
video depicts a confrontation between a herd of Cape Buffalo, a
small pride of lions, and a pair of crocodiles.
Taken from a vehicle on the opposite side of the watering hole,
the video begins with the herd of buffalo approaching the water,
unaware of the lions resting nearby. The lions charge and
disperse the herd, picking off a young buffalo and knocking it
into the water. While trying to drag the buffalo out of the
water, it is grabbed by a pair of crocodiles, who fight
strenuously for it before giving up and leaving it to the lions.
The lions sit down and prepare to eat, but are quickly
surrounded by the reorganized buffalo, who move in and start
kicking at the lions. After a battle which includes one lion
being tossed through the air, the baby buffalo (who is
miraculously still alive) escapes into the herd. The emboldened
buffalo chase the remainder of the lions away. It is not known
if the youngster survived the ordeal.
Two veterinarians and animal behaviorists interviewed by Time
assert that the behavior exhibited by the buffalo is not
unusual. Dr. Sue McDonnell of the University of Pennsylvania
(School of Veterinary Medicine) said of the video:
"The larger herd is broken down into smaller harems, with a
dominant male and several females and their babies. If a
youngster is threatened, both the harem males and bachelor males
- which usually fight with one another - will get together to
try to rescue it."
Take a look at these other
Animal Fights or enter your comments in the
Battle at Kruger Blog.
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