A lion takes down a buffalo, but what he does next is truly impressive

A hungry lion recently attacked a herd of buffalo and left one victim in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. But the feline’s greatest challenge awaited him: keeping his prey away from the fallen buffalo’s comrades. (Watch the video below.)

One member of the herd gored the struck buffalo right in front of the lion and another rushed directly at the predator, images published Tuesday on wildlife website Latest Sightings show.

The lion backed away temporarily before grabbing the young buffalo’s head and dragging the carcass across the sand and bushes. A truckload of stunned observers watched the proceedings.

The latest observations have shown that the carrying force of lions is adapted to the need to keep their prey away from scavengers.

Lions have already shown the ability to easily transport heavy carcasses over long distances.

And the new video shared by Jock Safari Lodge guide Louis Strauss clearly shows that when the king of beasts wants to eat, he’s willing to take his lunch away for quite a while.

“In the end, the lion managed to single-handedly drag the buffalo carcass across the entire riverbed,” Strauss told the site. “He then began feeding on his hard-earned meal in the shade of some nearby bushes.”

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