Intimate Enemies

Production Details

As the dry season grips southern Tanzania, a pride of lions is faced with a shortage of prey. A big kill is essential for the pride’s survival. One buffalo would provide enough meat to sustain a pride for several days. But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Weighing more than a ton, the male buffalo is a daunting prospect for a hungry lion. Their herds are made up of many sub-groups of closely related individuals, and unlike other prey who run randomly in the presence of predators, buffaloes close ranks and face their adversaries head on. Many a buffalo bears the tell-tale signs of a failed lion ambush, thick scars running down their backs or parts of their tails missing.

More often than not, however, it is the lion that is injured in these confrontations. It would take a certain amount of tenacity, foolhardiness and teamwork on the lions’ part to bring this mighty beast down. Intimate Enemies is a film about the relationship between these two great animals as a drought forces them into a titanic battle.