On a roll! Rhino flips over a one-tonne buffalo as the two heavyweights go head-to-head at South African game reserve
- Braden Colling was near end of a tour in Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa
- He spotted herd of buffalo looking agitated by a 2.5-tonne white rhino bull
- Footage shows one of the herd split off to confront the much larger animal
- But stand-off ends with the rhino using its horns to flip the buffalo over
A safari tour guide was left stunned after witnessing an epic battle between two of Africa’s biggest beasts that saw a rhino flip a one-tonne buffalo ‘head over heels’.
Braden Colling, 24, was coming towards the end of a tour in Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa, when he spotted a herd of buffalo looking agitated.
He then saw a 2.5-tonne white rhino bull, who appeared to be encroaching on the group.
Incredible footage shows one buffalo break off from the herd to confront the much larger animal in an ill-advised test of strength.
Incredible footage shows the moment a 2.5-tonne rhino sent a buffalo half its size flying after the pair squared off in Kariega Game Reserve, South Africa
The buffalo broke off from the herd to confront the rhino in an ill-advised test of strength
Braden then watched as the rhino toyed with the buffalo before using its horns to throw the animal up into the air, and slam it down onto its side.
Badly defeated, the rhino then ran back to the safety of the herd.
‘It was incredible,’ said Braden, from Johannesburg. ‘When I watched the bull flip the buffalo as easily as it did, it just blew my mind.
‘Fortunately neither of the animals had any injuries which was surprising because the buffalo was flipped head over heels.
‘I knew rhinos were strong, but this was a real feat of strength. I call them African bush tanks when we’re out on tours. They’re 2.5 tonnes of pure muscle.
‘I’d never seen a rhino and buffalo come to physical blows before this. I don’t imagine I will ever see it happen again in my life. I couldn’t stop talking about it.
‘Typically when the two species do come into contact, they will give each other as much space as possible.
‘We were returning back from a game drive when we came across the rhino and buffalo out in the plain. I knew the herd was upset about something but I didn’t know what had caused it.
Safari guide Braden Colling, 24, was coming towards the end of a tour when he spotted a herd of buffalo looking agitated by a nearby 2.5-tonne white rhino (Pictured, the buffalo going off to confront the animal)
The rhino toys with the buffalo before using its horns to throw the animal up into the air, and slam it down onto its side
‘I could tell the two animals were going to fight so we moved the car around to get closer to the action.
‘Buffaloes are very short tempered but normally white rhinos aren’t that aggressive because they’re plain animals.
‘They have to rely on their sense of smell because their eyesight is terrible. I believe the rhino must have been having a bad day and the buffalo pushed its buttons to get it riled up like this.’
‘It was incredible,’ said Braden, from Johannesburg. ‘When I watched the bull flip the buffalo as easily as it did, it just blew my mind’
Braden’s recently uploaded video of the encounter, which occurred in October 2019, has been viewed 1million times on social media.
Viewers were amazed at how the rhino tossed the bull ‘in the air with not much effort’ while others praised the ‘buffalo’s courage to challenge’ rhino.
One commenter said: ‘That’s amazing. The buffalo is almost one tonne and the rhino tossed it in the air with not much effort.’
Another joked: ‘Rhino wins by TKO in the first round.’
One person wrote: ‘There is no doubt about the strength of the rhino but hats off for the Cape buffalo’s courage to challenge this magnificent animal.’
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