African Buffalo

African buffalo represent dangerous prey that inverts the predator-prey power dynamic: they can and do kill lions. Buffalo herds will mob lions, surrounding and goring predators that threaten calves. Individual buffalo weighing 2,000 pounds with sharp horns can kill adult lions in defense. The prey fights back with lethal force.

This creates a different risk calculus than typical predator-prey relationships. Lions hunting buffalo face meaningful mortality risk; lions hunting wildebeest face nearly none. Buffalo hunts require coordinated pride attacks and still frequently fail. The prey's defensive capability changes predator behavior—lions preferentially hunt buffalo only when easier prey is unavailable.

The business parallel is customers who can impose costs on suppliers. Buffalo are like enterprise customers with procurement power, regulatory influence, or public platforms—customers who can damage vendors who displease them. When the 'prey' can fight back with lethal consequences, the 'predator' becomes selective. Buffalo strategy shows that not all customers are worth pursuing, and some customers impose costs that exceed their value. Lions avoid buffalo when possible; companies should avoid dangerous customers.