Guests on one of our Maasai Mara safaris were lucky enough to witness the legendary Musiara Marsh Pride of lions take on a large clan of hyenas that were determined to rob them of a recent Cape buffalo kill.
The overnight hunt was an exhausting affair for the lions, with the powerful buffalo seeking refuge in deep pools on several occasions, before eventually succumbing to the determined and experienced lions. The lions feasted well, and in the morning all had bellies full to bursting. Many of the pride members moved away from the buffalo carcass to drink and rest. That’s when the clean-up crew of jackals, hyenas and vultures moved in to pick the carcass clean.
The few lions that remained at the carcass were soon outnumbered, as 60 hyenas (not all can be seen in the video) gathered and ripped the carcass to shreds, consuming all remaining meat.
The brazen and confident hyenas set off in pursuit of one lion and her cubs at one stage, but full bellies and the return of a few more lions halted that charge. During the melee, Siena (a lioness famous for killing hyenas) made a comeback attempt, giving a few retreating hyenas a fright as she bowled them over. In the end, though, full bellies won the day and each protagonist retreated to safety.
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