African Buffalo 1

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

Pawprint