A buffalo was on the verge of becoming dinner for a pride of lions… before his best friend stepped in. Usually, this kind of scene in South Africa ends with a tasty buffalo steak for the lions, but not this time. Just when an attacking lion thought he had the upper-hand, he got a bit of a (hilarious) surprise.

Alligator trapper Mark Whitmire prepares an alligator he caught in a lagoon on a golf course to relocate it to a more natural environment in Orlando, Florida, U.S., June 19, 2016. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

A “Maya” girl sits in an altar during the traditional celebration of “Las Mayas” on the streets in Madrid, Spain Sunday, May 10, 2015. The festivity of the Maya comes from pagan rites and dates from the medieval age, appearing in ancient documents. It takes place every year in the beginning of May and celebrates the beginning of the spring. Girls between 7 and 11 years old are chosen as “Maya” and should sit still, serious and quiet for a couple of hours in altars on the street decorated with flowers and plants and afterwards they walk to the church with their family where they attend a ceremony. (Photo by Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP Photo)

Satrio smokes at a kiosk after elementary school on March 3, 2017 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Satrio has smoked up to one pack a day and began when he was six years old. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

Children sit under a crocodile based table, as they pose for photographers during a press preview of a themed auction that features the animal as artistic inspiration, entitled “Creatures Great and Small”, in London, Monday, December 15, 2014. The sale scheduled for December 17, 2014, explores animals across a diverse range of mediums and styles, from intricate carving details in 19th century furniture through to contemporary sculpture, according to Christie’s auction house. (Photo by Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo)

Each year Nikon Small World recognizes the excellence of photography taken under the microscope. The contest showcases the beauty and complexity of life. Anyone interested in microscopy and photography can enter the contest and in its 42nd year, Nikon Small World received 2,000 entries from 70 countries. Here: 11th Place; Scales of a butterfly wing underside (Vanessa atalanta). (Photo by Francis Sneyers/Nikon's Small World 2016)