Two clients of ours took a trip to Timbavati, a private reserve adjacent to Kruger National park in South Africa. Kent Lawson and Carol Tambor were staying at King’s Camp (see more below). While on a game drive, they filmed this amazing encounter between 3 male lions and a huge herd of more than 300 buffalo.

Their story and video was picked up by the Daily Telegraph in the UK.

“One minute we were watching these lions hunting quietly and slowly and majestically and then all Hell broke loose. We came across this scene of incredible violence and tension and confrontation.” Kent and other tourists had been tracking the three lions through the African bush before the action unfolded. He said; “These three males are well-known to the park because they are unusual in the way they cooperate so well together… More

About Timbavati
Timbavati is a private nature reserve next to Kruger National Park, there are no fences separating the two parks so the animals you see are the same as you would encounter in Kruger. The advantages of a private reserve like Timbavati, is that visitors are allowed to go off the road and drive up close to the animals. Rangers make sure they are safe and don’t interfere with the animals in anyway, as you can see in the video. Rangers are also very familiar with the animals that tend to live and hunt in the private reserve, since the area is not as large as Kruger. This really adds to the safari experience because rangers know where to find the “Big 5”, and are familiar with the characteristics of individual members.

Private reserves allow visitors to go on walking safaris and enjoy sun downers in the park out of their vehicle. Visitors can also enjoy night drives, giving them a better chance at seeing some of the nocturnal animals like the elusive leopard. Other advantages include open topped safari vehicles. This footage is so clear because Kent could shoot the video right from his seat and didn’t have to deal with a window. Despite the proximity of the lions and buffalo they were still safe.

Kings Camp

Kings Camp where Carol and Kent stayed, is lovely luxurious camp with 10 individual en-suite chalets, tastefully decorated and air-conditioned. There’s a comfortable lounge, dining room, bar, pool, restaurant, and curio shop on site.

Contact us if you’re interested in more information about an African safari. We can’t guarantee you’ll see 3 lions battling buffalo right in front of your jeep, but we certainly have the knowledge to give you the best odds on witnessing a scene like this!