Spectacular photos show how helpless lion was trampled to death by buffalo stampede

A helpless lion was crushed to death by a relentless stampede of buffalo who gored him and jumped on his head.

The lion, who had earlier been forced out of his pride, was spotted by the large group of buffalo, who are thought to have picked up on his scent in the Kruger National Park in South Africa

As the stampede moved closer, the lion tried to make a run for it but as he was injured from a previous fight, he was too slow. #MORE pics below:

The lion, who had earlier been forced out of his pride and beaten, attempts to hide from the herd of buffalo in the long grass 

But after a change in wind direction, the buffalo pick up on the lion's scent and begin to stampede towards the big cat

The lion attempts to run away from the incoming buffalo, even though he was weak and sore from a previous attack by other lions 

The lion then lay down in the long grass in a bid to hide but he was eventually spotted by the herd.

Eventually the buffalo caught up with him, before goring him, jumping on his death and crushing him to death.

But despite the lion's best efforts at running away, the buffalo catch up with him, and initially knock him on to the ground 

The buffalo then begin to gore the lion with their horns to make sure he can't escape as more animals begin to charge in 

The stampede was captured on camera by game ranger Lyle Gregg, who had spotted the animal during an early morning drive around Kruger National Park 

He explained: 'This male belonged to a pride which I knew very well, I had seen him everyday for two years.

'He had just been forced out by a coalition of five males from a different pride and we were concerned about him because he had taken a huge beating by the coalition just days before.

'As we sat there watching him I heard buffalo calling and remember saying to my guests that if this is a big herd he could be in trouble."

He added: 'The herd got to about thirty metres away and were walking past him when all of a sudden the wind changed direction and the buffalo picked up on his scent.

After goring him, Mr Greg said that the buffalo then began to stamp on top of the lion's head and added that the attack on the big cat was relentless 

The management of Kruger Park in South Africa, where the attack took place, confirmed that the lion did not survive the buffalo attack 

'They moved closer towards him until he decided to make a run for it but he was too weak and too sore.

'The attack was relentless from about two dozen of the buffalo. After the initial hit they just gored him on the ground until a big bull jumped on his head.'

Kruger Park Management confirmed that the lion did not survive the attack.