Outnumbered Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

While travelling in the Kruger Park, just North of Letaba Rest Camp (on the S47 road), during November 2005, my family and I chanced upon an amazing spectacle. Thirteen lions chased this old male buffalo onto the road and attacked him there.

We witnessed how they attacked in waves exhausting him and eventually wearing him down. The most remarkable thing was that the whole incident took place either on or so close to the road. While they swung to and fro from one side to the other they were almost constantly in sight. Just a few metres from the road they would have been swallowed up by the dense mopani bush.

It is indeed bizarre that having lived in Southern Africa for most of my life and spending so many days in the bush, I now return on a visit to witness such an amazing incident. I had set out that morning without much faith that this road would deliver any great sightings. It was more a nostalgia drive as it held special memories from my childhood years of visiting the Kruger Park with my parents. I know my Dad always loved this road and we drove it often together.

From a photographic point of view I have no information to share other than what is in the technical detail. When you chance upon something like this you try to point it in the right direction and just shoot as much as you can and hope something will go right. The light was poor, I was driving and I my heart was in my mouth. This image is one from a sequence of over 400 taken.

SampraS, Keitht, PerR, Liekje, jaywalker, postvikram, levocan, gertan, Lissan, magiqa, HIRAKZ, anney has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

adnan13 (0) 2006-04-23 9:57

Amazing picture! Would like to see some of the rest from the bunch.

david (3972) 2006-04-23 10:04

hey rob. very lucky capture. the lions must know that the buffalo is old, they don't seem too concerned about his escape ... even taking time to look directly at your camera.

it's a good shot. i'd have tried to get in closer to capture more detail in the shot. the claws tearing flesh, the jaws, the eyes.

i'm sure you'll have a few good shots from the 400 that you've taken.

a comment about your watermark. i just had a quick look through your gallery and i think your watermark is a little intrusive. either make it slightly opaque, move it further into the corner or include it as part of your frame.

we all worry about copyright theft, but it can still destroy a photo when we have to stare at your name in the shot.

cheers

david

[3] +

lestans (15436) 2006-04-23 10:06

Great picture!!! and great luch to see such a scene!! Terrible....
The compo of the animals look like a great sculpture, it is fantastic, much movement... Buffalo doesn't semm to syffer yet.. But I think it will die.
I visited Kruger National Park for three days, but ... I saw no lion!!
Great experience indeeed!
Livia

Darren (6817) 2006-04-23 10:09

Stuff like this is really interesting to me. Some are turned off by it, but I just find it to be part of the fascinating cycle of life; animals die in violent ways. I find it very interesting that the lions are in the process of pulling down a very significant dinner and the buffalo is in fact going to be the dinner, yet the buffalo appears more interested in you and at least one lion also appears to have more interest in you. I would guess if we could read minds though that this would not be the case. I think the technicals are all pretty good here. Things seem sharp enough and the DOF is about right. I think the lighting here (beyond your control, I know) is just OK. It seems overcast, which means that at least it is not too hard and contrasty, but it also hasn't given much character of its own to the shot. Of course, this is not terrifically important in this shot, I just can't help but notice it. Nice shot, your heart must have been in your throat I would think.

SampraS (617) 2006-04-23 10:15

Hi!
Lucky you, that lions did not tried to eat you
;)
The pic is really good
[National Geographic] woul'd not mint to have it in the cover i think

Regards
Adam

dcawker (5667) 2006-04-23 10:23

Nice shot! Looks professional actually.. really well done! Regards, Doug

Keitht (1112) 2006-04-23 10:25

Simply a great example of being in the right place at the right time AND having a camera available. There is something surreal about the way the buffalo just seems to be standing there fully accepting its fate.
This isn't the kind of shot that you spend ages over, pondering about composition etc, but it certainly tells us plenty about the World. For one thing leaving the car in such areas is unlikely to be a life extending experience.
Thanks for sharing.

danielswalsh (13306) 2006-04-23 10:50

A truly amazing shot Rob;

This is the type of thing that someone working for Discovery Channel or National Geographic would maybe see. Not a usual sight for sure.
Interesting you should mention Kruger National Park. We visited Kruger a few times while we were living in Swaziland in the late 70's (I was a youngster at the time). One visit to Kruger was particularly memorable. I was asleep in my carseat in the back seat- middle, when I awoke to the sight of a baboon sitting on the hood of the car looking straight at me. The basis of more then a few nightmares my mother tells me... haha...

Anyways Rob; a great shot here. Excellent clarity, composition, cropping, levels, and natural colors.

All the best,
- Dan

nika (0) 2006-04-28 16:12

Dear Rob!
I'm really fascinated of your photo! The scene you captured speaks for itself. I haven't seen such an interesting photo! For me it's a perfect shot!
Thank you!
a big hug,
Anette

raybam (373) 2006-05-27 1:58 [Comment]

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sassyvic (0) 2006-10-08 23:30 [Comment]

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Liekje (574) 2006-11-05 6:47

Amazing thatyou had a chance to catch this lot in their act. A rare shot of nature doing what it's supposed to do without human interferance. Great to also see your other photos, where nature and life are so very pure and vulnerable.

Thank you for sharing.

[workshop] [compare]

jaywalker (12190) 2006-11-05 7:00

Hi Rob, this is truely an amazing sight, you have captured the photo excellently & if the light was poor you can't tell, the POV, frameing & DOF are all superb, i do pitty the buffalo however this is nature & it's a great overall shot, kind regards Wilson.

doctabrez (329) 2006-11-05 7:05

Hi Rob..
nice pic..
too adventurous of u to take such a gr8 pic..
its dangerous in these situation..
and u know no pic is worthy enough to give one's life for..
if im not mistaken ive seen the same thing on NGC/ Discovery..
hey do u work with em..
nice pic..
thanks for sharing

qadirsh (84) 2006-11-18 21:06

Excellent shot. Thanks for sharing.

postvikram (1199) 2006-12-05 10:15

Hello Rob,
This is an amazing shot indeed. I was wondering if people would wish to save the buffalo. by firing in the air or something. But 13 lions is an army..
And I think its the way of the nature. Its a gift that you witnessed this.
Thanks for sharing. Vikram

shane1 (12) 2006-12-05 10:23

Hey Rob,
Amazing picture. Better then any shot you'd see on any nature program. Realy lucky to get it. Wouldnt mind seeing some of the rest of the pictures

siamakjafari (1338) 2006-12-05 10:47 [Comment]

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adisaadisa (48) 2006-12-23 23:32

what get s me is that the buffalo seems to have given up..and just standing there letting the ions have their way..

very nice pic and like the wa ythe lion has pounced on top tail flying and all...

asiivalceni (853) 2007-01-20 3:56

WAWWWWWWWWwOan Picture verry, verry nice and Spontan..
Ella

Lissan (115) 2007-01-20 4:04

Wow, what an amazing picture. A bit cruel it might seem like, but hey, that's nature. You've managed to capture the lions biting, that's awesome and the buffalo's look on his face is very speaking, poor thing! WELL DONE! / Elisabet

randompics (913) 2007-01-21 0:53

it is an amazing shot but yeah i feel sad for that old helpless buffalo..he gave up completely in front of those mighty lions...well this is how the nature works, survival of the fittest. The buffalo was looking at you and it seems it is asking for your help.

ratojie (318) 2007-01-25 10:47

poor guy! y canot see afraid from his face? does he look at your camera? "hey !get off form his back Mrs. lion!"

magiqa (1262) 2007-02-20 20:47

Jungles law is cruel but the photo is excellent. I have seen the lionesses strategy when they plan to attack, but never seen when they kill, neither in South Africa nor in Serengeti.
Fantastic view!

HIRAKZ (168) 2007-04-03 2:56

Whew! What should I say. Guess there are three things about a photographer. One, Eyes wide open, a sense of timing and perspective and sackful of lady luck. And when all these three come together, they conjure up a momentary story which can be shocking, awesome and just too much for the senses to crave and dig into the background of the photograph.

Wow, this is one of those momentary shots and it goes straight into my favorites.

Cheers
HIRAK

partha (13655) 2007-04-03 5:21

Hi Rob ,
What a great reflex u have. Its the survival for the fittest in this world.
Good wildlife shot.
Regards.
Partha

testmaniac (11930) 2007-05-19 1:46

Hi Rob!
Amazing shot in a great moment!

TFS!!

Photo Information

Copyright: Rob Nicholls (nixpix) (116)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-11-29
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon D60
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Lions & Tigers, My favorite animal photos, A shot to remember. [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-04-23 9:46
Favorites: 13 [view]