Viral video: Lion cub's death-defying escape from buffalo stampede captured on camera, watch

In a dramatic and heart-pounding moment, wildlife photographers documenting a lion pride's hunt in the Greater Kruger region of South Africa witnessed a cub narrowly escaping a stampede of 1,000 buffaloes. The intense encounter, captured on video, shows the young lion seeking refuge on a fallen tree, barely avoiding death in the Savanna Private Game Reserve.

The incident unfolded during an early-morning safari guided by Nic Andrew and featured the Mhangeni lion pride, which consists of three females and nine cubs of various ages. While lions typically hunt in packs, sometimes the young ones are brought along to learn the ropes, despite the inherent risks.

Tension escalated into chaos as a cloud of dust rose and the buffalo herd began stampeding towards the cubs. The young lions scattered, with one cub finding itself face-to-face with the massive herd. In a desperate attempt to hide, the cub first sought cover behind a bush and then climbed a broken Marula tree.

"The scent of lion infuriated the buffalo," Andrew recounted to Latest Sightings. "One of the bigger bulls locked in on the cub, and it became his sole focus."

What began as a tense standoff quickly turned dangerous. The cub lost its footing in the tree, prompting the bull to lunge forward in an attempt to gore it. The bull's horns missed by mere centimeters, adding to the nail-biting tension of the moment.

Separated from the rest of the pride by the buffaloes, the cub's situation seemed dire. The buffalo bull, driven by a deep-seated animosity towards lions and an adrenaline rush, tried to gore the cub again. In the process, he demolished the Marula tree, causing the cub to fall at his feet.

Fortuitously, the buffalo bull became distracted by a Marula branch on his back, which likely weighed around 100 kilograms. This distraction provided a crucial moment for the cub to escape. Despite the rest of the herd closing in, the cub managed to flee and rejoined its pride.