When a baby buffalo gets cut off from the herd, the result is never pretty.
On the plains of the Serengeti, life is rough for baby animals. Just being born is fortunate, surviving to adulthood is not a guarantee. Especially for game like the cape buffalo. The adult buffalo may be one of the most dangerous animals on the Dark Continent, but the calves are utterly defenseless if they get separated from the rest of the herd.
Those types of separations happen more often than you might think. When they do, the odds of the calf's survival drop to nearly zero. Because there are so many predators in the African bush just waiting for a chance at that easy meal.
This footage out of Kenya's Masai Mara game reserve shows exactly what we mean. This young calf is lost from the herd that is about half a mile away. Unfortunately for the calf, a large male lion has spotted it, and it quickly zeros in for an easy meal.
This reminds me of my own domesticated housecat bringing in baby birds and rabbits and being so proud of her kills. Cats will never hesitate to grab an easy meal like this. In fact, the video's description notes that this calf was the second one he killed that afternoon.
"Our guide explained that often times male lions will run into herds of buffalo specifically with the idea of creating confusion so the babies will get lost," the description states.
If that is the case, that is one smart cat. Lions do prey upon the adult buffalo, but these youngsters are a much easier target. There is also a significant amount of danger to the lion in taking on the adults. One kick can lead to a broken leg or jaw, which means a long slow death for the predator. By targeting lost calves, the lion avoids all danger. It may not be pretty, but this is life in the wilds of Africa.
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