5/5

I figured I better make sure I cover all five of the African Big Five game animals. So today's animal topic is the African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer), which is also known as the Cape buffalo, affalo, or nyati. It is highly unpredictable and very dangerous to humans, so it has not been domesticated.

The African buffalo is categorized under the Big Five for good reason; a record-sized savannah=type male weighed 2,200 pounds. Shoulder height can range from 2.2-5.6 feet, while head-and-body length can be anywhere from 28 to 43 inches long. The forest-type buffalos are not quite so large, weighing in at a maximum of about 1000 pounds. Besides size, forest- and savannah-type buffalo differ in color. The savannah type have black or dark brown coats, while the forest buffalo tend to be reddish brown in color. The horns of the nyati are very unique. The adult bull's horns actually have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield that is called a "boss". This "boss" is so strong, in can not always be penetrated by a rifle bullet. Cows and bulls both have horns, although the horns of the cow are less prominent. The horns of forest type buffalo tend to be smaller and weaker than savannah buffalo, and they almost never fuse into a "boss".

The African Buffalo is very good at its job, which mostly involves grazing. It lives in swamps, floodplains, mopane grasslands, and forests. They require water daily, so they have to stay near sources of water. They have few predators (besides humans with guns), but lions and crocodiles have been been known to take down an adult buffalo. The lions pursue at their own risk, however, as African Buffalo are perfectly capable of goring and/or killing an adult lion. Cheetahs, leopards, and spotted hyenas are a threat only to newborn calves, although it is not unheard of for a spotted hyena to occasionally kill full grown bulls.

They live in herds that consist of related females and their offspring arranged in a fairly linear dominance hierarchy. These herds are surrounded by sub-herds of males and old or invalid animals. the young males keep away from the dominant bull, who is recognized by the thickness of his horns. During the dry season, the males will split and form bachelor groups. Bachelor groups are split into two types; those hosting males from 4-7 years of age, and those who are 12 years or older. During the wet season, the younger bulls return to the females to mate and help protect the calves. The linear dominance hierarchy of males is based on age and size. Adult bulls spar to play, display dominance, or actually fight. Females rarely spar at all. African buffalo seem to display altruism, as a calf's distress call will get the attention of not only the mother, but the entire herd. Furthermore, these buffalo engage in mobbing behavior when fighting off predators.

The African buffalo is regarded as a highly dangerous animal. Its nicknames include the "Black Death" and the "widowmaker". It gores and kills over 200 people in Africa every year, and compete with hippos and crocodiles for the prestigious title of "Africa's Deadliest Animal".


CHEETAH TIME!!!
As I hinted at earlier, a cheetah would have to be pretty crazy or desperate to try to go after an African Buffalo. The Ranger in this video pretty much sums it up when he calls this cheetah crazy for stalking a cape buffalo.