African Buffalo
The African or cape buffalo is a member of the "Big Five"
group of animals which includes lion, elephant, leopard and white rhino.
African Buffaloes are massive, heavily built and powerful with a cattle
like appearance.
They can reach weights of up to 800 kg with a shoulder height of 1.5
meters.
Large and heavy horns curve down and outwards, then upwards and inward.
Both sexes have horns with the male devloping a more gnarled "boss"
as they grow older.
They move in large herds, often over 400 strong and most times behind
the herd a lion pride can be found.
There are smaller bachelor herds of four to five. Occasionally solitary
ones live alone and do not associate with the larger breeding herds.
Being a bulk grazer, they are responsible for converting long grasslands
into short grassy environments conducive to other browsers with more
selective feeding habits
Sight and hearing are both rather poor, but scent is well developed
in buffaloes.
Although quiet for the most part, the animals do communicate. In mating
season they grunt and emit hoarse bellows. A calf in danger will bellow
mournfully, bringing herd members running at a gallop to defend it
Popular trophies for hunters, these large and often dangerous animals
are unpredictable and can be deadly if cornered or wounded.
Buffalo are one of the only animals that purposefully circle back onto
their own trail to "hunt" the pursuer.
Though often accused of deliberate savagery, they are usually placid
if left alone .
During the dry season they are the preferred prey of lion. If attacked,
the adults form a circle around the young and face outward.
 By
lowering their heads and presenting a solid barrier of sharp horns,
it is difficult for predators to seize a calf. This effective group
defense even allows blind and crippled members of the herd to survive.
Thus predators do not have a major impact on buffalo herds; it is the
old, solitary-living males that are most likely to be taken by lions.
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