Interesting video of buffalo helping another against lion

[sestoppelman]

MSN

 

[BourbonTrail]

It was cool to see the animals in action, but you can’t tell me that Ecotourists aren’t detrimental to the Okavango (or anywhere for that matter)

 

[sestoppelman]

Its amazing to see the strength a buffalo has in its neck.

 

[R.M.C.]

Jeez look at all the tourists, driving right up to the "wild" lion, boats in the water, tour buses, probably drones overhead filming the whole thing. Not my cup of tea but great footage! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Open-sided bus full of much easier prey right there.

No way on earth you’d catch me in one of those things. Besides the fact that I’d rather spend my time and money hunting, I have very little interest in riding as entree in a mobile buffet mobile

 

[Dewald]

And that is why I will never visit Botswana game reserves again. They all are in radio contact, and drive up in droves to predators, big 5, kills etc, with no respect for the vegetation or the animals.

Yet RSA is vilified for its fences, which keep poachers out, not game in by the way, and these unethical antics are illegal here, vehicles stay on the road and tourists use those marvellous inventions called binoculars to view the action in game reserves

 

[sestoppelman]

Its probably a good thing most of the tourists arent smart enuf to know they are in some danger being in such close quarters to kills being made.

 

[Dinsdale]

Open-sided bus full of much easier prey right there.

No way on earth you’d catch me in one of those things. Besides the fact that I’d rather spend my time and money hunting, I have very little interest in riding as entree in a mobile buffet mobile

So animals habituated (which is a poor word used in the industry, relaxed is better) dont see the people as bi pedal humans, but part of the vehicle.

I have been close enough to open eco system lion and leopard walking by I could have reached out and touched a tail. Had a dominant male leopard spray a German couple sitting in front of me with urine when scent marking his territory along the road edge when he kinda missed his intended target. Smells like buttered popcorn. (civet smells the same)

Several reserves dont act like in the video with crowding sightings and have very strict codes of conduct managing sightings. Vehicles are limited to usually 3, only one or two if a leopardess or lioness has cubs. This is an issue for the tourism industry and it doesnt sit well with the professionals involved, efforts are being made by suspended operating licenses in places (Mara Triangle comes to mind).

Seen some pretty amazing behavior of a dominant male and more of a leopardess introducing her cubs to an impala kill in a tree not 20 feet away and at eye level, fantastic sighting. As much of a life changer as hunting my first elephant.

Although eco tourism has its ethics issues (as does hunting) it pumps huge amounts of cash into national parks which in turn feed the hunting buffer zones around them in many wild settings.

I dont see it as an us or them, winner take all. The fact of the matter is most people dont hunt but still should be able to see the benefit of wildlife.