There is only one species of buffalo in Africa, but four separate subspecies. These are the forest buffalo, west African savanna buffalo, central African buffalo and the southern savanna buffalo – also known as the Cape Buffalo.
The Cape Buffalo has a fearsome reputation in Africa, and has earned itself top spot on the Big Five animals of Africa. These are the animals deemed to be the most dangerous to hunt on foot, and also includes the lion, leopard, elephant and rhino.
What is the Cape Buffalo?
Sometimes also just referred to as the African buffalo, the Cape Buffalo is the most plentiful and the most notorious of all the subspecies.
They are a large bovine species, sometimes also referred to as the ‘widow maker’ or ‘black death’.
Cape Buffalo vs Water Buffalo
The cape buffalo and the water buffalo are two entirely different species.
The water buffalo is an Asian species, that grows significantly larger than their African cousins. Although visually they can seem similar at first glance, once you’ve noted the differences it is quite obvious.
Once found all across Asia, the water buffalo is now limited to a much smaller native area with fragmented populations. They are also widely used as a domestic species, used to support farm labour.
Appearance
Buffalo are dimorphic, which means there is very little difference in appearance between males and females. The primary differential is size.
How big is the cape buffalo?
The Cape Buffalo is a formidable beast, and cuts an intimidating figure on the African plains.
As far as large African mammals go, the cape buffalo is not very tall – around 4 to 5ft. (1.3-1.5m) on average, with very short legs comparative to their size. An adult
They are a staunch, heavily built species. More than seven foot (2m+) from tip to tail, the weight of a mature male cape buffalo will be between 1,300 and 1800lbs (600-800kg), while females are usually around 220lbs (100kg) less.
The buffalo’s bulk is supported by four large hooves. These hooves are wide set to prevent the animals from sinking in the mud while wading through water. Buffalo also use their hooves as a defensive mechanism, particularly in battles with lions.
How big are cape buffalo horns?
One of the cape buffalo’s most prominent features are its horns.
Starting with a downward loop, before extending outwards and then curling back in, the buffalo’s horns meet in the middle. The meeting point is called a ‘boss’ and forms a helmet-like shield over the forehead. This provides much needed protection during territorial fights and battles with predators.
The boss forms slowly as the animal grows, and takes around seven years to grow fully.
Both males and females have horns, but the bull’s horns are a lot larger and more pronounced. A large cape buffalo bull can have horns that are 4 ft. (1.2m) wide.
Cape Buffalo Skin
The cape buffalo has a thin, black coat that covers their body entirely. Young calves may be more grey or brown, but this darkens with age.
Behaviour
What do Cape Buffalo’s eat?
The cape buffalo is regarded as one of the most successful grazers in Africa. This is because they’re able to survive in a wide variety of habitats, as long as they have access to grass and water. They’re also known to change their eating habits to match their changing surroundings.
To maintain their size, cape buffalos spend most of their time grazing – sometimes even 18 hours per day. They predominantly feed on savanna grasses. Often times buffalo can be seen lazing under a tree, chewing continuously. This is because, much like cows, buffalo will regurgitate cud and spend more time chewing on it in order to extract further nutrients.
An adult buffalo also needs between 50-100 litres of water per day, and can drink 35 litres in a matter of minutes.
Do Cape Buffalo live in herds?
The cape buffalo is an extremely social species that lives and moves in giant herds.
They can be seen in small family herds of between 30-100 individuals but in Africa’s largest national parks they’re known to come together in their thousands.
Moving in a large herd is a method of protection against predators. This makes it a lot harder for lions to single out individuals. Herds consist of both sexes, but are predominantly cows and their calves. Older males tend to breakaway from the herd and spend much of their time in small bachelor groups.
Cape buffalo do not claim a specific territory as such, but do live within a pre-define home range. Males fight for position on the dominance hierarchy, which comes with access to females and mating rights. Bulls are constantly sizing each other up, and sparring sessions can frequently be seen when observing a buffalo herd in the wild.
Fights play out with two bulls ramming their heads into one another, and twisting their horns from side to side. Often times young males will play fight, but fights for dominance can be very severe. Dominance is largely determined by age and size, which is why older bulls move away from the herd when they become unable to compete with younger, stronger bulls.
How do cape buffalo’s communicate?
Cape buffalo communicate through a series of snorts, grunts and body language. The herd is incredibly in sync, and injured or weaker individuals will seek refuge within the safety of the herd.
While grazing, larger herd members will create a barrier around calves and weaker individuals who are seen as easy targets for predators. This first line of defence will charge and attack lions without fear and will constantly return back in order to protect a herd member.
Predators
Due to their size and demeanour, the cape buffalo doesn’t have many natural predators. Their main predatory threat is the African lion, while in a few isolated incidents, buffalo calves have been hunted by leopards.
Lions will approach a buffalo herd with caution, using camouflage to help them with a synchronised approach. After singling out a member of the herd, the pride will begin the chase, sending the buffalo herd into chaos. Initially the herd will flee in hopes that the lions are unable to pin any of them down. However should the predators succeed, the herd will circle back and engage the lions in order to help free their fallen herd member.
These fights can last for hours and many lions have been killed by angry cape buffalo herds.
Habitat & Range
Where do cape buffalo’s live?
The cape buffalo thrives in almost every sub-Saharan habitat.
Large herds tend to prefer savanna grasslands or open woodland, but buffalo will also frequent dry savannas, floodplains, woodland thickets, marshy swamps and forests.
The species is quite widespread and can be seen in large numbers in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.
Conservation
How many cape buffalo there are in Africa?
There are an estimated 900,000 Cape Buffalo in Africa today.
Is the cape buffalo endangered?
The African buffalo is listed as ‘Near Threatened‘ on the IUCN red list, which means the population is at risk of becoming vulnerable should numbers start to decline.
Threats to the cape buffalo
The primary threats facing buffalo in Africa are habitat loss, disease, bush meat poaching and trophy hunting.
While cape buffalo hunts are some of the most dangerous of all animals in Africa, they are an extremely popular species among trophy hunters. However these hunts are often managed on private game farms and tend to not impact on wild population numbers.
Buffalo are extremely dangerous to approach or engage, and are not actively sought out by poachers, but instead fall foul of pre-placed bush snares.
Safari
The best places to see cape buffalo while on safari in Africa are national parks in the southern and eastern parts of the continent.
Most commercial reserves offer guided safaris with knowledgeable field guides, self-drive safari facilities or a combination of both.
Where to see Cape Buffalo on safari
Here are some of the best places to see buffalo in Africa:
- Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
- Chobe National Park, Botswana
- Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
- Katavi National Park, Tanzania
Tips for spotting cape buffalo in the wild
Cape buffalo are plentiful in most national parks in Africa, and because they congregate in large herds, they’re generally very easy to see!
- Look for water – Buffalo need to drink twice a day, and large herds spend a lot of time in and around water. So a good place to start looking for buffalo is near water.
- Visit the open plains – Large herds need a lot of food, and there’s no more plentiful supply than on Africa’s wide open savannas. Have a look at the park’s map beforehand and pin point the open grassland areas to help in your search for buffalo.
- Go on a guided safari – Safari lodges who operate guided game drives will have a team of rangers communicating with each other and sharing the locations of previous sightings, so they will know exactly where to take you to see buffalo.
- Be respectful – Cape buffalo are very temperamental animals and have been known to ram vehicles with their horns. Please always allow a safe distance and treat wild animals with respect.
Facts about the cape buffalo
- Scientific name – The cape buffalo’s scientific name is Syncerus caffer caffer.
- Gangs – A group of buffalo is called a gang.
- Eternal enemies – Lions and buffalo are notorious enemies and engage in ferocious battles on a daily basis. Buffalo are known to act as a mob and attack lions any chance they get. They are also a vengeful species and will stomp and kill lion cubs, if they stumble upon a lioness’ den.
- Swimming – Buffalo are surprisingly good swimmers and can often be seen wading across rivers or dams.
- Black death – The cape buffalo has earned the nickname ‘black death’ due to them being so dangerous to humans and other animals.
- Hunter hunted – Cape buffalo kill more hunters than any other big game species.
- Human conflict – Reports suggest that buffalo charge thousands of people every year, and an average of 200 people are gored by buffalo every year.
- Babies – New born buffalo calves are able to keep up with the herd just one hour after birth.
- Dagga boys – Old buffalo bulls that have left the main herd are often referred to as ‘Dagga Boys’. The term ‘Dagga’ originates from an African language and means ‘mud’. Often targeted by hunters because of their size, these grumpy old bulls are the ones who earned the species their Big Five status, due to their short tempers and unpredictability.
- Gregarious – Buffalo are extremely social animals, and are one of the only bovine species who will lie touching.
Myths about the cape buffalo
- Diurnal – A common myth is that African buffalo are mainly active during the day and sleep at night. However they actually prefer to graze during cooler parts of the day, including over night.
- Water buffalo – The cape buffalo are not the same as the water buffalo, they are an entirely different species.
Cover image – @cherie_captures