(Editor's note: Card-carrying genet experts will be quick to point out the error lurking in our title: yes, genets are not actually cats - they're cat-like carnivores of the suborder Feliformia. But since there are plenty of people out there who have never heard of genets, we're letting this cat ride its buffalo on into the sunset.) 

When Zoë Luhdo and the team at conservation group Wildlife ACT checked on camera traps in South Africa's Hluhluwe Game Reserve, they never expected to see this bizarre pairing of animals: a genet riding a buffalo!

"One of the buffalo seemed to be unimpressed with the genet and can be seen turning around and thus shaking the genet off," writes Luhdo. "The other buffalo was quite content to let the genet "tag along" for an evening stroll."

Just why the genet decided to hop atop the giant buffalo remains unknown, but Luhdo hopes that someone will be able to explain the behaviour. "I can confidently say that this is fantastically bizarre. We are all wondering if this was a once-off occurrence or if this genet will be making a habit of dropping in and catching a lift with strangers in the dark."

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One of the buffalo seemed to be unimpressed with the genet Image: Wildlife Act Team/used with permission
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Image: Wildlife Act Team/used with permission
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Image: Wildlife Act Team/used with permission
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The second buffalo was quite content to let the genet tag along for an evening stroll. Image: Wildlife Act Team/used with permission
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Image: Wildlife Act Team/used with permission

Wildlife ACT runs critical endangered and priority species conservation projects in Africa focusing on African wild dog, cheetah, rhino, lions, elephant, leopard and vultures. For more info, or to keep tabs on their camera traps, check out their website!