Lion cub’s death-defying escape from buffalo stampede caught on camera, watch

In a dramatic and poignant moment, wildlife photographers documenting a pride of lions hunting in South Africa’s Greater Kruger region witnessed a lion cub narrowly escape a stampede of 1,000 buffalo. The intense encounter, captured on video, shows the young lion seeking refuge in a fallen tree, narrowly avoiding death in the Savanna Private Game Reserve.

The incident occurred during a morning safari led by Nic Andrew and featuring the Mhangeni lion pride, which consists of three females and nine cubs of varying ages. While lions typically hunt in packs, youngsters are sometimes taken along to learn the ropes, despite the inherent risks.

The tension escalated into chaos when a dust cloud arose and the herd of bison began charging toward the cubs. The young lions scattered, and one came face to face with the massive herd. In a desperate attempt to hide, the cub first sought cover behind a bush, then climbed a broken Marula tree.

“The lion’s scent made the buffalo furious,” Andrew told Latest Sightings. “One of the bigger males focused on the cub and he focused only on him.”

What started as a tense confrontation quickly turned into danger. The lion cub lost its footing in the tree, prompting the bull to lunge forward in an attempt to gut it. The bull’s horns missed its target by inches, adding to the nerve-wracking tension of the moment.

Separated from the rest of the pride by the buffalo, the cub’s situation seemed hopeless. Driven by a deep animosity towards the lions and a surge of adrenaline, the male buffalo attempted to gut him again. In the process, he destroyed the Marula tree, causing the cub to fall at his feet.

Luckily, the bull buffalo was distracted by a marula branch on his back, which probably weighed about 100 kilos. This distraction allowed the calf to escape at a crucial moment. Despite the rest of the herd closing in, the calf managed to escape and rejoin his herd.