That day, the bright sunlight illuminated the lush green foliage of the tropical forest. The chirping of birds overhead creates a lively natural symphony. In that poetic scene, a herd of wild buffaloes with shiny black fur and heroic appearance leisurely walked to the riverbank. They seek cool water to relieve the heat of a long day

Wild buffalo is an animal that plays an important role in the ecosystem. Not only do they help maintain the balance of the environment, but they are also part of the food chain, where life and death constantly intertwine. During this bathing session, the image of wild buffaloes playing and splashing in the water is a rare peaceful scene.

Brian Abrahamson was lucky enough to witness the entire incident and recount it.

“That day, we woke up at dawn and headed to the camp gate at Bergen Dal. It’s always an exciting feeling to be the first to show up here; The excitement of what they might find made everyone even more excited. We decided to turn right onto the dirt road just outside the camp and head towards the Matjulu waterhole.”

“As we approached the waterhole, something caught our attention – the continuous cry of hyenas. The call echoed through the mountains surrounding the waterhole. We knew that this was definitely a sign of something unusual. When we arrived at the water hole, the secret appeared right before everyone’s eyes.”

According to Brian, the herd of about 7 hyenas were screaming and trying to alert the rest of the herd that the buffalo were surrounded by 7 lions. At this time, the lion did something that hurt the old buffalo. Apparently, their strategy is very simple. Weakens the prey’s legs and back, causing it to fall to its knees.

Old buffaloes, also known as Dagga boys in this region, are often seen moving alone. This makes them more vulnerable to predators because they lack protection from teammates. It’s sad, but this is the cruel reality that all animals have to accept when they get old in Africa. Normally, Matjulu waterhole is a regular gathering place for old wild buffalos.”

Going back and forth with the story, even though he was facing 6 lions, the old buffalo had no intention of giving up. It fought with all its might for nearly 2 hours to escape. As time passes, it gets weaker and its last hope is to try to enter the water hole, which could cause lions to retreat as they don’t like getting wet.

He tried his best, with his last bits of energy he moved a few more meters into the waterhole, and for a moment he thought he was free, but the lions let go.

“As for the lions, they have expended a lot of energy, and they don’t want all that effort to go in vain just because of a little water. So they grabbed the buffalo’s tail from land until the big male took over and rushed into the water. It grabbed the buffalo’s neck and suffocated it, causing the final blow,” Brian reported.