National Geographic | Lion vs Buffalo | Nat Geo Documentary

Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle. – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Baked under the African sun lie plains of pure gold and finest silk. These soft shimmering grasses undulate in the breeze, tantalisingly inviting, begging for childlike glee as you run barefoot through them. Look closer, however, and you will see the tell-tale signs of a warrior breed of beasts that stalks these fields. Hoof prints, as ungulate battalions muster in tight formation, calves within, horns facing out, scanning the land. For danger lurks. Whisper-quiet, dagger-like claws leave tiny furrows in the soil. The landscape explodes, as grass seeds are flung up high, a streak of sheer violence bounding through them with a single straggler in its sights. Alarm calls ring out, dust clouds are kicked up as hooves pound frantically, but it is too late. Softly, breath fades away between powerful jaws.

With the regal set of their powerful shoulders, and the confidence in their eyes, the title of “The King” suits the African lion well. It seems infeasible that such a muscular cat could face any difficulty when bringing down game, and yet there is one creature that does not lightly surrender. What the lion presents in terms of size, power and ferocity, the African buffalo counters with hardiness, horns, and utter resentment. There is a good reason why an old buffalo bull is the most feared of any adversary that hunters across the ages have faced on this continent.

Our ‘Lion vs. Buffalo’ safari focuses on destinations that are well known for their large concentrations of lion and buffalo. It takes you to the lush bush of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, the drier, northern section of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and in Tanzania, the endless plains of the Serengeti, and the rugged valleys and woodlands of Ruaha and Katavi National Parks.

Our proposed safari was choses for its variety in scenery and convenient travel. However, numerous other combinations are possible, and we could even line up a few days in Cape Town at the start of the safari, or a tropical beach at the end of the trip. Should you wish to combine elements of this safari with any of our other destinations, please click on the ‘Enquire Now’ button and let us know what you would be interested in.