This is the moment a buffalo escapes death by wriggling free from the grips of a crocodile.
The jaw-dropping encounter shows the croc craftily ambushing the terrified animal in the Lower Zambezi River in Zambia.
The outcome of the attack is only revealed in the final moments when the shaken bovine staggers out onto the crumbling banks of the river.
It’s a victorious but scary moment for the herbivore.
The footage was captured by Lazarus Mceric Bobota, 37, a safari guide from Chirundu, Zambia, who filmed it in Lower Zambezi National Park.
The waters are calm at first, and a line of buffalo is swimming through the river with their heads bobbing above the surface.
Suddenly, the crocodile appears out of the murky water and clamps its jaws onto its unlucky victim in an attempt to drag it under and drown it.
At one point, the buffalo’s head is fully submerged and all seems to be over.
The crocodile erupted out of the murky water and attacked the massive horned buffalo
It seemed that the croc could not get proper purchase on the buffalo because of its horns
Lazarus Mceric Bobota has been following the Nyamangwe Island buffalo herd for the last two years and said this kind of attack was rare
The buffalo retreated back to land – shaken but victorious against the deadly crocodile
But then the pair breaks the surface again, and the resilient animal wrestles off the crocodile, who can’t get a proper purchase around its neck with its terrifying jaws because of the buffalo’s massive horns.
After this tense struggle, the buffalo manages to break free and escape, swimming over the bank and retreating back onto land.
Mr Mceric Bobota has spent the last decade documenting animal behaviour in the wild.
He has been following the Nyamangwe Island buffalo herd for around two years and says encounters like this are rare but unforgettable.
It was only the second time he had witnessed such an attack, the first involving a crocodile targeting an elephant calf.
Mr Mceric Bobota said: ‘The crocodile was hungry and wanted to kill the buffalo to have food.
‘It was such a great experience to witness, even though it was very intense.
‘Crocodile vs buffalo. Nature drama. The true safari experience.
‘I would love more people to come to Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park to experience moments like this with us.’
