The extraordinary moment a herd of buffalo fought back against a pack of lions... and a crocodile

An amateur video shot on safari in South Africa has become a phenomenon on YouTube.

Almost 10 million people have watched the footage - dubbed the Battle at Kruger - since it was put online in May.

The eight-and-a-half minute video, shot by American tourist David Budzinski, clearly shows the natural forces of nature at work.

The stunning footage starts off like a David Attenborough documentary, with a pride of lions stalking through the African savannah in search of a meal.

But soon the film turns into an astonishing depiction of nature in action. A pride of hungry lions attack a herd of buffalo near a watering hole. They catch a small calf and wrestle it into the water.



But things take a twist when a crocodile tries to snatch the calf for itself. A brief tug of war ensues, before the lions drag the calf away.

But the situation becomes even more incredible when the buffalo return to take on the lions.


A lone lion stand its ground

Charging the predators, they successfully chase the cats away - even goring one and tossing it into the air - before the calf manages to get up and return to its family.

The footage his been proclaimed one of the favourite clips of all time by one of the website's founders.