“A Cape buffalo will never run far before sliding to halt and turning to face the cause of his disturbance,” said Simon Combes. “I like to capture that moment of stillness when every muscle and nerve is taut with tension, every one of his senses strains to identify the intruder. Attack or retreat? Whichever happens, he will give a long, hissing snort, toss his head and move with a speed and agility startling for an animal so heavy and apparently cumbersome.”

The Cape buffalo, a member of the “big five” game family, is known also as “The Black Death.” It gores and kills over 200 people each year. Lions (and men) are their primary predators.