This is the moment a herd of buffalo stopped a pride of lions eating an abandoned baby elephant in South Africa last week.

Video taken in Kruger National Park shows a group of female lions surrounding the the baby elephant – which is lying helpless on its back and appears to have been abandoned by its mother.

As the lions start to attack, they attract the attention of a nearby herd of Buffalo. At least four of the buffalo begin charging at the big cats, most likely in an effort to prevent their own young being attacked.

One by one the rest of the herd backs it up and, outnumbering the lions, the big cats decide discretion is the better part of valour and flee.

Spotting its chance to escape, the elephant rolls back on to its feet and escapes to survival and its family by a nearby watering hole.

The tourist who shot the video, Jill Matthew, said: ‘Watching all of this happen, our hearts were pumping.

‘The baby elephant was helpless, and we were sitting and wondering when the mother was going to come and help the poor baby.

‘From the waterhole, a group of buffaloes heard the commotion and decided to come and investigate.

‘Buffaloes and lions are eternal enemies of the wild, so when they saw the lions, they weren’t happy.

‘The buffaloes decided they wanted the lions out of there and proceeded to chase them away.’