Brave buffalo saves friend from deadly lion’s jaws in heart-stopping safari showdown

The unbelievable last-second rescue was caught on camera.

PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO

(L) An angry lion roaring (R) A giant buffalo sitting in the middle of a jungle (Representative Cover Image Source (L): Pexels | Photo by Pixabay; (R): Pexels | Photo by Creative Broccoli)

They say 'a friend in need is a friend indeed,' and rightfully so, as someone who can stand by us in our difficult times deserves our deepest love and gratitude. Now, remember, this is universal and is often seen in the animal kingdom as well. You might have seen horrifying videos of massive lions attacking buffalo, with the big cat emerging victorious every time. However, a startling video shared on Maasai Sightings (@maasaisightings on YouTube) serves as an exception, as it shows how a buffalo comes just in time to rescue its fallen friend and escape the wild predator.

(L) A giant lion standing in the middle of a jungle looking at something (R) A wild bull standing in the middle of a deserted land (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Elena Blessing (R): Pexels | Photo by Lukas Kloeppel)

When a nomadic male lion saw a buffalo disappearing into the bush, he sprang onto it, taking it down almost immediately. While the giant predator was busy tearing the buffalo apart, the tourists, who, perhaps, were witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment, took out their cell phones and instantly started capturing the whole incident. The buffalo had almost given up as it lay there, accepting its fate, until something miraculous happened. When the poor buffalo's cry for help reached its herd, a fellow member of the gang stepped up to its rescue. Using its gigantic horns, the second buffalo flipped its fallen friend upright, allowing it to stand and escape the fatal lion attack. It's hard to comprehend why the other buffalo came forward to help its friend who had almost accepted death, even though it meant risking its own life.

Notably, cape buffalo, living in large herds, are extremely social animals who often protect each other during hardships. According to AOL, citing A-Z Animals, whenever they sense danger, the herd forms a protective ring around the young or vulnerable members. The stronger ones stand on the outside, guarding the weak members of the herd from the threat.

via GIPHY

Meanwhile, the incredible incident highlighting how the buffalo came to his friend's rescue quickly went viral on social media. While some praised the brave buffalo for helping his pal, others called out the tourists obsessed with watching violent natural events. Reacting to the video, @mohideenbadsha3703 commented, "Actually, that bull encouraged the suffering buffalo to get up and fight for its survival. It's a single nomadic lion, and 2 buffalo can easily chase it away!" @feline2322 wrote, "That subadult lion would have killed the buffalo if it weren't for the other one. The lions of the Okavango Delta are crazy strong and powerful." @josephgarcia2979 commented, "They come to each other's aid, but there has to be a will to survive on the part of the victim."

@blackswan8653 pointed out, "Hate to see cars blocking the animal's views, places to run, and generally getting in the way and then having the audacity to honk their horns when the action happens. Humans are the worst." Similarly, another user who goes by @wandakelly7811 on YouTube wrote, "I think to turn something like a lion attacking a buffalo into a tourist attraction is disturbing! Even more disturbing is to see the number of people who went to see and record it! What is this world becoming? A bunch of voyeurs! Downright sad." @bttawfiq said, "I didn't realize how huge that buffalo was until it got up! Still, it was going to end up as buffalo steak if the herd didn't intervene."

You can follow Maasai Sightings (@maasaisightings) on YouTube for more animal-related content.