The interaction between lions and Cape buffalo in Botswana's Okavango Delta is an intense war, not merely predator and prey. During one morning, a pride of lions led by "Ma di Tau" finds a lone male buffalo from the herd of over 1,000 and attacks. Though the lionesses succeed in bringing him down, the herd charges back and forces their retreat. Later, the lions come upon a cow giving birth and kill both her and her partially-born calf. The lions feed on the carcasses, with the cubs eating parts of the calf.

1. Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo at Duba Plains
The interaction between lions and Cape buffalo at Duba Plains in Botswana’s Okavango
Delta is not one of ordinary predator and prey. Blood has been spilled and lives lost on
both sides, and there is an aggression here that transcends simple survival. This is a war.
The buffalo herd is huge, numbering over 1,000 animals. They choose to remain con-
fined to this one area because of the unique grasses found here. The lions have adapted
to hunt solely from this herd, becoming semi-aquatic in the process due to having to con-
tend with the wetlands of the Okavango Delta.
The pictures below capture the events during one morning that I spent embedded with
these combatants.
It is 7AM, and the buffalo herd is beginning to rouse from their sleep. They spend the
night sleeping grouped closely together to afford better protection from their enemy.
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2. This particular pride of lions begins its day with a scout surveying the movements of the
buffalo, looking for opportunities. The group is led by a lioness known by locals as “Ma
di Tau” – Setswana for “Mother of Lions.” She is accompanied by her two young cubs,
an adult female cousin, and two sub adult lions.
The cubs are insulated from the serious business of feeding the family, and they spend
their time playing in a nearby tree. Their innocent play is actually training for a time in
the future when they too will need to be the consummate predators to survive.
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3. The buffalo herd is up and has become mobile.
The lions look for an opening, a weakness, an opportunity. They find a large male buf-
falo which is lagging behind the rest of the herd. They begin to move towards a flanking
assault on him.
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4. Ma di Tau leaps out of the bushes and begins the attack, and her cousin quickly joins.
The sub adults are not yet experienced enough to participate in the kill.
The two adult lionesses attack the rear of the buffalo, trying to avoid sharp horns or
strong kicks from its hind legs which could seriously injure the lions. They have a seri-
ous weight disadvantage against a full grown bull, but will work together to bring him
down. The bull is frantically letting out a loud distress call.
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5. The struggle rages on with little progress and one of the lionesses disengages to try a new
tactic.
The lionesses move around to attack the bull’s hind legs in an attempt to get his knees to
buckle. This is a very dangerous tactic for the lions as one kick could easily crack a
lion’s skull.
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6. The lionesses succeed at getting the bull’s hind legs to give way. Down on the ground,
he is losing this battle.
However, the bull’s distress calls have paid off. 1,000 strong, the herd has doubled back
and is charging to his defense.
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7. One lioness disengages in the face of the superior numbers.
But Ma di Tau continues to hold on to the bull’s tail in this now futile battle. She has lost
cubs of her own to the buffalo, and does not give up easily.
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8. Finally, as the reinforcements rush in, Ma di Tau too begins her retreat at the last minute.
They run right past me.
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9. The furious buffalo watch the lions’ retreat. This is a dangerous time for us to be around
them as well.
We fall back to join the lions as they regroup and regain their strength.
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10. After a short rest, Ma di Tau moves off to begin circling around to the back of the buffalo
herd again.
We scout forward to rejoin the buffalo herd, and find something unexpected. The bull
that was attacked by the lions is down, not because of injuries inflicted by the lions but
instead because the several of the other bulls are viciously attacking and goring him.
They are enraged by the scent of lions on him.
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11. After the attacking bulls move off, several other bulls now begin to try and help him to
his feet. They push their heads under his abdomen and use their combined strength to
help him lift his weight. Several of the buffalo position themselves to defend him from
us as well.
In the end, he is back on his feet after a very difficult morning of being attacked by both
his enemies and his own kind.
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12. We scout ahead, looking for other opportunities that the lions might seize. A few hun-
dred feet off the path that the lions are on, we find this female buffalo, down and in the
process of giving birth. The nose of her calf is just visible coming out.
The lions see the cow, and move in cautiously and silently to investigate.
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13. The lead lioness sees the calf beginning to come out and immediately understands the
situation.
She begins her attack on the cow.
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14. The cow is unable to get up, and the lions roll her over. I am expecting at this point to
see one of the more gruesome predatory behaviors: that the lions will simply open her
abdomen up and begin eating her alive. The cow is screaming its distress call to the herd.
But they are too far away, and will not be coming back to defend her.
The cubs and sub adults move in and begin eating the partially born calf.
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15. Ma di Tau moves around to clamp onto the cow’s head to apply the “kiss of death”. This
will suffocate the cow as well as silence its distress calls.
The kiss of death being applied. Look at the size difference between predator and prey.
In about 15 minutes, the cow will be dead.
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16. One lion begins to open the abdomen. Lions need Beta Carotene, but their digestive sys-
tems cannot process it from grasses, so they eat the livers of their herbivore prey where
the nutrient is stored.
“Cute little cubs” are carnivores just like their parents. This one is enjoying his meal of
partially birthed calf. The cub has pulled out the head and its ear is visible hanging
down.
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17. One of lionesses works hard to finish the delivery of the calf. At this point, she has
pulled it far enough out to the point where one of the legs has popped out. When we
came back later in the day, the lions had finished the delivery.
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