Stampeding water buffaloes trample a lioness to death before tossing her around after she became separated from her pride in South Africa
- Big cat was separated from rest of her pride during their hunt in the Kruger Park
- Water buffaloes’ survival instincts kicked in and they stampeded over her
- Lioness was tossed through the air like a rag doll before being dumped at lake
- Danica Roux, who witnessed it, said she was left feeling ‘shocked and saddened’
- WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT:
This is the moment stampeding water buffaloes trample a lioness to death before tossing her carcass around in South Africa.
The big cat became separated from the rest of her pride and was caught among the herd of massive buffaloes beside a watering hole in the Kruger National Park.
The survival instincts of the buffaloes kicked in and they started attacking the lioness with their horns in front of 28-year-old Danica Roux and her family who were visiting on Saturday.
Dust starts to get thrown into the air as the animal’s trample the lioness off camera before she suddenly appears, lifted up by a buffalo’s horns as she tries clamber over its back.
The lioness is seen being thrown through the air by the water buffaloes at the Kruger National Park in South Africa on Saturday
Dust swirls through the air as the buffaloes stampede over the lioness’s body
The lioness was eventually thrown into the watering hole as other lions were heard calling not far off
But she is thrown to the ground and disappears from view again, dust swirling ominously as the buffaloes can be seen moving around in agitation.
The lioness is then seen again – her body lifeless – being thrown around like a rag doll by the buffaloes.
Ms Roux told LatestSightings.com: ‘We were just about to leave when we heard a bit of commotion off to the side of the herd.
‘I saw a lioness being chased off and of course, I was quite thrilled at our luck, the first game drive of our stay and here we have a lion.
‘My excitement quickly turned to confusion and shock when I realised what was unfolding in front of my eyes.
‘The poor lioness, this majestic predator had gotten herself stuck in the cross hairs of this enormous herd of buffalo.
‘Their survival instincts kicked in and it was chaos, she was tossed about like she weighed nothing.’
The lioness is hurled towards the water by the furious water buffaloes
The lioness lies dead at the shore of the watering hole as hippos swim in the foreground
The lioness was eventually thrown into the watering hole as other lions were heard calling not far off.
‘We were all left feeling completely shocked and saddened by the events,’ Ms Roux said.
Lions typically hunt their prey, such as water buffalo, zebra and antelope, in packs.
It is not clear how the lion became trapped among the stampede.
Lions usually attempt to pick off vulnerable prey rather than go straight into a herd as this lion did.