05/23/2007
An Amateur Planet Earth
And now for something a bit different. This is by far the most interesting amateur wildlife video I've ever seen, shot at South Africa's Kruger National Park by someone on safari. It shows a battle between a herd of buffalo, a pride of lions, and two crocodiles. Warning: could be a bit violent for some.
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 10:40 AM EST by Andy in Nature, News, Towleroad Guide to the Tube | Permalink
Comments
Thanks for posting that clip, Andy. Amazing stuff. That bit with the whole herd coming back to kick some lion ass was astonishing.
Posted by: Turtle | May 23, 2007 11:04:55 AM
It's like watching different men in a bar fighting over the one cute guy there. I'm gonna be laughing to myself next time I see that happen and think of this video.
Posted by: Becks07 | May 23, 2007 11:09:11 AM
Wow! Absolutely amazing amateur footage!
Posted by: soulbrotha | May 23, 2007 11:13:55 AM
The voices sound like the come from a Monte Python skit, especially the women who screech, "Wha there's a crocodile there!" or some such thing.
I kinda wanted to see the tourists waddle into the fray.
Posted by: Tyler | May 23, 2007 11:21:31 AM
that was absolutely incredible.
Posted by: ken | May 23, 2007 11:21:31 AM
suni's, shiite's and kurd's.
Posted by: CHUX | May 23, 2007 11:31:41 AM
Chux wins. LOL Excellent post, mate.
Posted by: Becks07 | May 23, 2007 11:35:54 AM
Man, that was sort of Operatic the way the Buffalo's came back. I thought it was done but man... kinda scary and amazing all at the same time.
Posted by: Vance | May 23, 2007 11:52:09 AM
I have a great sense of humor and can be sarcastic, witty and light-hearted with the best, but to compare that amazing footage to cruising a gay bar is just ridiculous to me.
This footage demonstrates that heart, tenacity and strength of will exists even in the wild. I'm consistently grounded by how amazing the world we rest on can be. This video capture reinforces that...
Posted by: Jason | May 23, 2007 11:52:35 AM
Holy cow! Talk about strength in numbers!
Posted by: Sharon | May 23, 2007 12:11:35 PM
thanks to your earlier Planet Earth thumbs up i bought the dvd set... and it's indeed amazing.
many thanks Andy !!
Posted by: A.J. | May 23, 2007 12:22:25 PM
That poor calf is going to be in therapy for years because of this . . .
Posted by: kimmer | May 23, 2007 12:24:02 PM
THAT IS ONE INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE. WELCOME TO THEIR "HOOD"!!!!
Posted by: Patrici | May 23, 2007 12:27:36 PM
Went to Botswana once and it brings back sweet memories. Of the many safaris I did, nothing compares to this heart pounding sequence. Life at its purest. Good job!
Posted by: MARTY | May 23, 2007 1:01:19 PM
South Africa is an amazing place. And I'm not just saying that because they legalized gay marriage either.
The scenery is absolutely beautiful, and culturally, it's one of the most fascinating places on earth. I find it hard not to feel a spcial connection to the place.
Dismissing the advice of white expatriates (to not go) was one of my better travel decisions of late. While there is some truth to the complaints about the soaring crime rate, the claim that it is racially motivated is dubious at best. It's the same as any other third world country. There is a lot of violence, but if you exercise common sense pre-cautions (use private taxis, have a guide for the more dangerous sites, don't wear Prada shoes), the chances of encountering it is slim. I get the feeling many of these ex-South Africans simply miss apartheid. And whatever they can't have, they want to wreck.
Posted by: John | May 23, 2007 1:25:05 PM
Amazing video!
Posted by: Juan | May 23, 2007 1:39:21 PM
Wow
Herbivores in the house!
of course the humans "...you can sell that video"
All 4 groups of animals buffalo, lions, crocidiles, and humans were all caught on that film.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | May 23, 2007 2:19:24 PM
Ok that may just be the most amazing wildlife footage I've ever seen.
The herd KNEW that the baby was still alive and acted on it! The bystanders (including me) were convinced it was over for the little one. Took my breath away.
Thank you Andy for posting this and making my day.
Posted by: mark m | May 23, 2007 2:29:28 PM
that was awesome awesome awesome!
Posted by: bluepaintred | May 23, 2007 2:49:49 PM
Oh lighten up Jason -- and why "rest" on this world when you can actually DO something, instead? Or are you too busy casting evaporative commentary to get anything done?
But whatever, any humor in my post was trounced by The Artist Known As Chux.
Posted by: Becks07 | May 23, 2007 3:55:23 PM
Wow that was truly awe inspiring - just when you thought you had seen it all...(especially after watching the Planet Earth dvds which at the moment are at the top of my coolest things ever list)!
Posted by: Giovanni | May 23, 2007 3:55:25 PM
Perhaps just as fascinating as the grand guignol, and unfortunately absent from view, was the behavior of the buffalo prior to rallying to the rescue. I would like to have seen how they organized themselves.
Because what I find most intriguing is the escalation of aggression in the buffalo and how it spurs a few 'individuals' to take offensive action against the lion pack--ultimately determining the outcome in this 'test of wills'.
And to what degree the calf's continued communication with the herd accelerated this aggressive response is open to conjecture.
Posted by: Gil | May 23, 2007 5:05:01 PM
Gil
Interesting
I would assume the wailing of the calf triggers some sort of genetic survival trait (protecting offspring being of course the surest way to species survival while those who don't protect their children die out), but I to would love to have seen the actual outward physiological reactions and subsequent social interaction leading up to the charge of the buffalo brigade.
I also would have loved to see my own self in a mirror, everyone else, and the video tapers physiological reactions to watching this. The quickened heart rate, the dialation of the eyes, breathing altering etc. There have been studies that show human males in particular will even pop a willy when viewing violence.
Anyway; I am wondering how long afterward the calf survived. All those teeth and claw wounds bleeding couldn't have been good for the long term survival of the calf.
PS reminds of some taurus individuals I know. Don't piss them off or they will toss you across the room with their metaphorical horns and keep charging after one decides to high tail it away.
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | May 23, 2007 5:35:59 PM
I hate seeing animals fight in the wild. It makes me sad when they really hurt or kill each other! :(
Posted by: Cookie | May 23, 2007 6:03:21 PM
Pacificoceanboy
It's also interesting to note the initial defensive posture of the buffalo which is near scant: with that quite obvious solitary cow and calf being led by a lone bull; an all too easy target.
When put in comparison to the herding posture of other ruminants, the muskox for example, or even the hippo, for that matter, whom always corral their young between the adults and, when threatened, form a circular defense barrier around them, the buffalo's nonchalance appears incredibly 'naive'. I'd be curious to know if the collective heat generated by close proximity and the unavoidable cloud of insects it attracts has an underlying influence over the buffalo's dispersal pattern.
Posted by: Gil | May 23, 2007 6:47:59 PM
Gil I would venture a guess based soley on the video that maybe the heat explaines the non-chalance but the spacing out more on draught conditions might . The grass looks dried out and dead, not green with fresh life at all. Would dried out lifeless grass cause these herbivores to not be as packed together?
Posted by: pacificoceanboy | May 23, 2007 10:31:51 PM
How did the water buffalo communicate the situation among themselves and then act in a group manner to protect the calf?
It seems to imply intelligence. But I guess it's just instinct.
Posted by: gr8guyca | May 26, 2007 1:50:45 PM
How did the water buffalo communicate the situation among themselves and then act in a group manner to protect the calf?
It seems to imply intelligence. But I guess it's just instinct.
Posted by: gr8guyca | May 26, 2007 1:55:59 PM
How did the water buffalo communicate the situation among themselves and then act in a group manner to protect the calf?
It seems to imply intelligence. But I guess it's just instinct.
Posted by: gr8guyca | May 26, 2007 2:00:41 PM
How did the water buffalo communicate the situation among themselves and then act in a group manner to protect the calf?
It seems to imply intelligence. But I guess it's just instinct.
Posted by: gr8guyca | May 26, 2007 2:01:18 PM
No, that is intelligence. That involved communication and social bonding and defense. It implied complex emotions such as group identity and maternal and paternal instincts, anger and concer. Remarkable. I should never eat anything but a plant, fruit or seed again!!!
Posted by: lee Gordon | May 26, 2007 3:21:00 PM
Wow this is great to see this again. I am a born and bred South African and we take our country for granted on a daily bases. Thank you for reminding me to get away for a weekend again. Sunny greetings from the tip of Africa.
Posted by: Steph | May 27, 2007 4:52:42 AM
That really was amazing footage... a once in a lifetime experience for those that were there! Those game parks in South Africa are truly incredible. Anyone who has a chance to visit them (and South Africa), should.
But I have to say in response to John's comment:
"I get the feeling many of these ex-South Africans simply miss apartheid. And whatever they can't have, they want to wreck."
... that sounded really out of line. My entire family is still in South Africa (while I now live in the USA) and I found that comment very disrespectful. I am sorry that you must only have met obnoxious ex-South Africans, I hope you get to meet others of us 'white expatriates' that are not like that, who can change your mind on that subject.
Posted by: CK | May 27, 2007 11:58:14 AM
I said many, not all. And given our own history of racial segregation in United States, and after hearing holiday 'advice' like:
"Don't turn your back on them [blacks] for one second. They'll mug you...or worse"
"The ANC has turned a beautiful country into a third world shithole, that's why I left"
"Be glad you're gay, if you had a wife they'd [blacks] rape her and kill you"
What conclusion would you draw? I think there was an assumption made that because I'm white I must share their regressive values. I do not.
Forgive me for being blunt, but they sound suspiciously like the banter you hear from the likes of Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, and other right-wing nutjobs whom we routinely condemn here.
Does that mean all white South African expats are racist? Of course not. But based on these experiences, I would say that it is a problem within that community. Just as it is a problem within the queer community (which I've repeatedly pointed out here and elsewhere).
Posted by: John | May 27, 2007 12:59:59 PM
"Does that mean all white South African expats are racist? Of course not. But based on these experiences, I would say that it is a problem within that community."
I can understand that if those were the only ex-SA people that you met, you could have been led to that kind of conclusion. Since you appear to be a person that looks deeper into things, I hope you would have then sought out the other side of the coin, and asked progressive, intelligent and compassionate 'white expats' what their take is, and not have jumped to the conclusion that we are all like those idiots you spoke to. Those you spoke to, just like Savage, Hannity and their kind, are arrogant, righteous and insufferable assholes. However, they are not many, as you mentioned, but few. Seek out the others of us that are not remotely like them and I know you will be pleasantly surprised.
Posted by: CK | May 28, 2007 9:56:03 AM
Following with the analogies...we, the 'gay community' could be the buffalos...very inspiring
Posted by: Felix | May 29, 2007 9:05:12 AM
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