By Jackson Shirima, Guide - Chada Katavi
One morning we were on the temporarily water-filled Chada Lake and there were eight lions stretching and getting ready for the day. In a distance there was this big buffalo herd of six hundred or more individuals. A few metres from the main herd there was a small group of old bulls and among them a young calf of four months or so.
The lions moved closer, laid ambush as the herd moved on. Three lions closed in on the small group and managed to get the calf. The bulls came to the rescue of the young calf and managed to chase away the lions but then more lions came in and chased the buffalo herd into confusion. In the stampede the lions managed to get the same calf again.
This time the bulls accompanied by a number of females chased away the lions and managed to save the calf. The lions re-grouped and after a short while five of the lions, two young males and three females went for the same calf for yet another time. They managed to get the calf which was getting weak by this time. They held it down for about two minutes before the whole herd of buffaloes closed in on them. A number of females surrounded the calf as if to guard it while some bulls kept a hot pursuit on the lions for about 50 metres and left them.
After about thirty minutes the buffaloes were ready to move on. The lions came to collect their kill but it wasn’t anywhere to be found…the calf had survived!! It is surprising to see how animals can be organized and cooperate to ensure the survival of each other in the given species.
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