When Your Food Tries to Kill You

Don Hunter, his wife Shirley, and friends Roger and Joanne McDonald were amongst the first guests to visit our newly revamped Little Makalolo Camp in Hwange National Park in mid-June. The group was delighted with their stay. “Everything was above and beyond expectations – from the friendly and welcoming staff, including the affable, lanky Ed, and the amazing wildlife experience,” enthused Don.

However it was Don’s photo of a young lion surrounded by a herd of raging buffalo that took home the top prize!

Between the adversaries the buffalo had the upper hand, charging in on the young male. The lion made a run for it and was caught in a tough position – up in the tree with a ferocious herd directly below, watching his every move.

Joanne, who was also at the sighting, shared the outcome with us. “This is the chase after the poor lion took the gap and escaped from the tree. The buffalo were literally ‘on his tail’ but he managed to escape! His mom had been trying to rescue him but kept being chased away by the buffalo.”

In the end, the fraught lion managed to reunite with his mom and they shared an affectionate moment. The two will no doubt be applying their hunting skills with better success in the near future.

Photographs by Don Hunter and Joanne McDonald