Warning: this episode is a realistic account of the brutal aspect of wild life in African savanna. Many pictures may be upsetting and are not for the faint-hearted.
警告：這篇游記記錄了非洲草原上弱肉強食的無情的現(xiàn)實。 很多照片會讓你覺得不舒服。 心腸軟的讀者，請止步。
Our 6th day of Kenya Safari started just like all the other days: an early morning ride into the savanna. Truthfully, things were getting boring. We were getting visual saturation of gazelles, zebras, giraffes. Yes, and buffalos. After we encountered a large herd of buffalos, we decided that it was time to call it this morning. We were well on our way to return to our camp, when our guide Leko pointed out a lone buffalo in the distance, probably lost from the herd. Leko mumbled to us that if the buffalo was spotted by lions, the lions would attack it.
和往常一樣， 今天早上我們一大早出去看動物。 說句實話， 動物看到這會兒也覺得差不多了?；斡屏藥讉€小時以后， 我們看到了一大群水牛。水牛有什么好看的？ 按現(xiàn)今的話說一點都不養(yǎng)眼。 我們跟導(dǎo)游說，回營地吧。 一兩分鐘以后， 我們看見遠(yuǎn)處有一只像是走丟了的單獨水牛。 導(dǎo)游有點自言自語地說， 這水牛要是被獅子看見了，一定會遭殃的。
No sooner than he said this, he all of sudden shouted 'look, a group of lions are running toward the buffalo'.
話音未落，導(dǎo)游突然大喊：“快看，一群獅子正朝著水牛沖過去了”
We couldn't believe our eyes: a group of lions are attacking the lone buffalo right in front of us. This was 11:08AM.
我們簡直不敢相信自己的雙眼： 一群獅子開始 向這只水牛發(fā)起進攻。 這時候的時間是11：08
The leading lion jumped onto the buffalo within a split of second.
轉(zhuǎn)瞬之間， 打頭的獅子已經(jīng)跳到了水牛身上。
The buffalo shook off the lion and started to run toward us.
水牛把獅子從身上甩掉，然后開始向我們這邊逃跑。
She got jumped on by a lion second time, and shook it off again.
獅子再一次跳到水牛身上，但是又被甩了下來。
The lions were determined not to let a meal slip away.
獅子們窮追不舍，哪能讓到嘴的美餐溜掉！
This time, three lions jumped onto the buffalo together.
這一次三只獅子都跳到了水牛后背。
The entire pride of 10 lions arrived.
整個獅子群，一共10只，這時候都趕到了。
Video of lions jumping on the buffalo
獅子開始攻擊水牛的視頻。
After a few minutes of group attack by the lions, the buffalo finally collapsed.
在整群獅子的輪番攻擊下， 幾分鐘后，水牛終于倒下了。
The lions started to bite into the buffalo's abdomen.
獅子們開始撕咬水牛的腹部。
But the buffalo continued to struggle with her legs kicking the lions.
水牛仍然在掙扎。
At this moment, one of the bigger lioness started to bite into the buffalo's nostrils with the obvious attempt to suffocate the buffalo. Local time 11:17AM.
這時，一只最大的母獅子用嘴咬住水牛的鼻孔， 顯然是想將水牛窒息。 此時時間11：17.
Video of one lioness biting buffalo's nostril while other lions continued to bite into buffalo's abdomen.
錄像： 母獅子咬住水牛的鼻孔。 與此同時， 其它獅子繼續(xù)撕咬水牛的腹部。
Amazingly, the buffalo stood up while the large lioness still hanged on to her nostrils.
出人意料地，水牛突然站了起來， 此時母獅子子仍然咬住了它的鼻孔。
She shook off the lions on her back, and dragged the two lions hanging on her head for several meters. Talking about the last fight at the death door.
水牛把它后背上的獅子都甩了下來， 并且拖著兩個死咬住它的鼻子的獅子，走了好幾米。 生死關(guān)頭，最后一搏。
The buffalo continued this fight while being suffocated for a total 2 minutes.
水牛就這樣在被窒息的狀況下，連續(xù)抗?fàn)幜藘煞昼姟?/font>
Video of buffalo standing up while dragging two lions hanging onto its nose.
視頻：水牛把它后背上的獅子都甩了下來， 并且拖著兩個死咬住它的鼻子的獅子
She finally gave in to hypoxia.
水牛最終轟然倒下。
This lioness continued with the death grip with her powerful jaws to make sure the buffalo was dead.
與此同時，母獅子仍然死咬住水牛的鼻孔， 確保它絕對斷了氣。
She finally released her bite from the nostrils at 11:34AM, after an unbelievable 17 minutes death grip. What a tenacious beast. The buffalo put up a good fight with 10 lions for 28 minutes.
11點34分, 母獅子終于松了口。這一口咬了17分鐘。 水牛和10只獅子抗?fàn)幜?8分鐘， 但是終究抵擋不過兇狠頑強的獅子。
The vultures were gathering for their chance to scavenge.
禿鷲們開始聚集， 等待它們吃殘羹剩飯的機會。
Six hours later, we returned to the site. The lions have consumed the entire abdominal organs.
六個小時以后我們回到原地。 此時獅子們已經(jīng)把水牛的整個腑臟消滅干凈了。
Most of the lions were sleeping, probably from the exhaustion of killing a strong buffalo and from a feast. A few of them were still gnawing at the carcass.
多數(shù)獅子這會兒正在酣睡， 有幾只獅子仍然在啃水牛的殘骸。
There must be something tasty inside the abdominal cavity of the buffalo; this lion stayed inside for a good 5-10 minutes.
水牛的肚子里面一定還有什么佳肴，這只獅子在里面呆了至少有5分鐘。
Jackal and vulture were gathering for their share.
豺狼和禿鷲在等它們的機會。
Hyenas are never far away from any carcass.
鬣狗們是從來不會放過任何殘骸的。
In fact, with their special howling, tens of hyenas were joining forces to harass the lions.
聽到自己同伴的嚎叫，幾十只鬣狗開始聚集在這里，準(zhǔn)備騷擾獅子。
Lions repeatedly chased the hyenas away to protect their kill.
獅子們這時候還不示弱，幾次起來趕走騷擾的鬣狗。
All the lions were now circling the buffalo.
獅子們把水牛圍起來， 保護自己的勝利果實。
Video: hyenas harassing lions
視頻：鬣狗騷擾獅子
Vulture was ready as well.
禿鷲也躍躍欲試了。
While we were there, the hyenas staged three rounds of harassment to the lions, and each time they were chased away by the protecting lions. At this point, the hyenas settled down to gather more troops. The air was filled with eerie and unrelenting howling of hyenas. In the last dim and fading light, we could see shadows of hyenas converging to the area. We set out to return to our camp, wondering what would happen tonight here.......
這天傍晚，我們一共看到鬣狗們組織了三次進攻，每次都在獅子的反擊下敗退下來。 此時此刻，鬣狗們感到?jīng)]有機會戰(zhàn)勝獅子， 決定再調(diào)兵遣將，組織更大的進攻。 草原上鬣狗撕心裂肺的嚎叫此起彼伏。在昏暗的黃昏時分， 我們隱約看見更多的鬣狗從四面八方，朝著這個方向匯集。 黑暗中我們打道回營， 估計今天晚上 這里不會安寧........
..... Next morning, we came to see what was left of the huge buffalo that fought with 10 lions for more than 20 minutes. All we saw was part of the scalp with the horns and part of the spine still attached. A few ribs were scattered around.
..... 第2天清晨， 我們回到原地， 看看昨天和10只獅子奮戰(zhàn)了20多分鐘的水牛還剩下多少。 我們能看到的，僅僅是水牛的頭骨，加上它的犄角和一部分脊柱。 有幾條肋骨散落在草原上。
According to our guide Leko, the most likely scenario was that during the night, hundreds of hyenas joined forces and staged assault on the lions. The lions had to retreat, leaving the carcass behind for the hyenas to wipe out all the meat and almost all the bones!
根據(jù)導(dǎo)游介紹，估計昨天夜里上百只鬣狗聚集在一起，向獅子們發(fā)起進攻。 獅子們抵擋不住只好撤退。 鬣狗們在一夜之間將一只水牛幾乎連骨頭都沒有剩下吃了一干二凈。
We felt dumbfounded that, within 20 hours, a buffalo weighing more than 1000 pounds essentially evaporated from the earth. The nature sometimes is so ruthless. Based on our guide's experience, the probability of witnessing the heart pounding process of lions taking down buffalo in a given day is 1/800. We are still amazed at our good luck.
真難想象1000多斤重的水牛一夜之間變得幾乎無影無蹤。自然界有時就是這么無情。根據(jù)導(dǎo)游的經(jīng)歷，每天親眼看到獅子捕殺水牛的幾率是1/800。至今，我們?nèi)匀浑y以相信我們會有如此好運。
