Lion Flipped Into The Air By Heroic Buffalo In Amazing Viral Video

Talk about turning the tables!

In an amazing viral video recorded in South Africa's Kruger National Park recently, a hungry lion got far more than it bargained for after its attack on an African buffalo took a dramatic turn.

Two young cats had been stalking the buffalo for about 45 minutes prior to the attack, according to a description of the YouTube video posted by Barcroft TV. Quietly filming the scene were Ian Matheson, 52, and his 16-year-old son, Oliver. As they watched in awe, one of the lions pounced on a buffalo and appeared to be seconds away from a fresh kill.

"It looked like it was game over, he [the buffalo] really looked finished," Oliver Matheson said, according to the Daily Mail. "Then we saw two of the original herd coming back to investigate and we didn't really know what to expect."

With their camera still rolling, they watched a bull buffalo mount a daring rescue, charging at the lion and using its powerful head horns to flip the predator high into the air.

Incredibly, all of the animals appeared to walk away from the battle relatively unhurt, save perhaps for the egos of the two big cats.

The footage has been watched more than 16 million times since it was first uploaded over the weekend.

While not very tall, the African buffalo (also known as the Cape buffalo) can weigh between 935 and 1,910 pounds. Common across Africa's parks and reserves, buffalo herds have been known to work together to defend other members, killing predators if necessary.

(Hat tip, Grind TV)