The pregnant female buffalo had already started giving birth
600 mm 4,0, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 200
Its a strong emotional experience to see someone getting born ... to see new individual life come true ... but its also a strong emotional experience to see someone exit this world ! Life on the savannah is extremely unsentimental and new life along with merciless exits is a daily affair !! As a humble visitor to this ecosystem you have to be mentally prepared for this ... because it will affect you emotionally ... no matter is you're hard nail or a sentimental wimp.
The story along with these pictures goes as follows : It`s Sunday March 6 at noon with blue skies and hard light. The pregnant female buffalo was a part of a big buffalo herd, but was delayed by the ongoing birth, was left behind and thus without the collective defence performed by the herd. The birth had started as the head of the calf already could be seen sticking out of her "behind". A spotted hyena comes along, takes advantage of her vulnerable situation and tries to drag the calf out of her. At first the buffalo tries to confront the hyena to defend her half born calf, but then, as she understands that the hyena will not give in, she tries to escape. The hyena follows easily still trying to grab the head of the calf sticking out. As the buffalo desperately tries to escape her violator she unfortunately (for her and her offspring) runs straight into the jaws of of 4 adult lions hiding in the high, green grass. The situation is in other words upgraded from a "buffalo-hyena incident" to a "buffalo-lion battle".
It takes a long time for lions to take down big prey like a full grown buffalo and the battle splashes into a wet ditch. After 1 hour 20 minutes of continuous battling (!) she is tired, taken down and the lions can finally kill her by biting over her mouth & nostrils to block her breathing.
The buffalo`s screams of fear will never leave my ears !
Maasai Mara, Kenya. Thanks to Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp.
The buffalo confronts the hyena to defend her half born calf
600 mm 4,0, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 200
The buffalo then tries to escape the hyena with the half born calf sticking out of her "behind"
600 mm 4,0, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 200
The poor buffalo runs straight into the jaws of 4 adult lions hiding in the high green grass
400 mm 2,8, f2,8, 1/2500, ISO 220
400 mm 2,8, f/2,8, 1/2500, ISO 320
The battle splashes into a wet ditch
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f8,0, 1/1000, ISO 1100
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f8,0, 1/1000, ISO 1100
The lions tries to block the buffaloes mouth & nostrils, but they are not successful
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 220
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 280
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 250
400 mm 2,8, f2,8, 1/2500, ISO 250
400 mm 2,8, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 280
The buffalo is dead after 1 hour 20 minutes of continuous battling and 2 lionesses tries to pull the prey on dry land
70-200 / 200 mm 2,8, f4,0, 1/1000, ISO 250
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