Battle for the Feast: Lion Defends Buffalo Against Hyenas, Ultimately Overwhelmed by Pack’s Sheer Numbers

A lion realised he had bitten off more than he could chew when he briefly battled with a large hyena clan over a freshly killed buffalo in Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya.

With the help of his pride, he had already eaten most of the carcass before deciding to rest, but he wasn’t impressed with the hyenas scavenging the leftovers.

The conflict in Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya saw the lion charge twice at the hyena clan to stop them from eating the dead buffalo carcass

He sprinted across for a second time and tackled one hyena to the ground while biting it

The spotted hyenas tuck into the dead buffalo but quickly disperse as the lion rushes in and swipes at the back legs of one hyena.

He misses but continues to chase it as the hyena growls.

They return to their food before the lion sprints across and this time bites and tackles a hyena to the ground.

Another hyenas rushes to its defence by attempting to bite the lion’s tail and he soon realises there are too many to fight and decides to walk away, allowing the hyenas to return to their meal.

Clans of hyenas are capable of reducing carcasses to piles of splinters with their very powerful jaws.

The hyenas surrounded the lion and one rushed across and attempted to bite the lion’s tail

He knew he was severely outnumbered and decided it was no longer worth the trouble

Clans of hyenas are capable of reducing carcasses to piles of splinters with their very powerful jaws

Conflict between lions and hyenas is very common as the carnivores share the same habitat, hunt the same prey and scavenge the same remains of animals.

When they cross paths they react with hostility, chase one another and in some cases even kill each other’s cubs.