Buffalo saves friend being eaten by lions - by flinging them in the air

It looked like a young buffalo was about to meet a grisly fate after two lions attacked him in a South Africa national park. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

But the lions hadn't counted on the buffalo's friends appearing from the bushes - and literally flinging the lions into the air.

The heart-thumping scene was caught on camera in the Mjejane Reserve on the border of the Kruger Park by three friends on an early morning game drive.

Oliver Matheson, 16, and his two friends, Yaseen Majal, 17, and Alex Raubenheimer, 17, had joined Oliver's father on the drive.

The two lions had stalked the buffalo for about 45 minutes before pouncing.

Oliver, who visits the park every year with his father, told the Daily Mail: "We had seen the two young lions on the prowl and were already quite excited to witness nature in action, but nothing could have prepared us for what we saw next."

Oliver said the buffalo put up a good fight, but when he fell to the ground it looked like it was "game over".

He added: "It was insane, he flipped the lion about 5 metres into the air. I had never seen anything like it."

All the animals walked away afterwards without injury.

See the video below:

Discover the best places to go on safari below:

Related articles

Starving Syrian rebels 'eat lion from Damascus zoo'

Zoo visitors witness lion maul lioness to death