African buffalo

A large, often fierce buffalo (Syncerus caffer) of central Africa, having massive, downward curving horns. Also called Cape buffalo.

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Syncerus caffer

TAXONOMY

Syncerus caffer (Sparrmann, 1779), Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Buffle d'Afrique; German: Kaffernbuffel.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body length 82.6–118 in (210–300 cm); shoulder height 53–70 in (135–179 cm); tail length 29.5–43.3 in (75–110 cm); weight 1,100–1,984 lb (500–900 kg). Minor sexual dimorphism in body size, with adult females weighing about 17% less than adult males; the smallest subspecies from dense forests is half the body weight of the plains form. The most notable feature is its large head and broad muzzle. Males have relatively short (up to 59 in [150 cm]) but stout horns that typically extend sideways, first curving down, then up along the distal half of their length. Females also have horns, but these are smaller and narrower in girth than those of males. On older males, the broad bases of the horns abut, forming an almost solid plate across the forehead. The forest-dwelling subspecies have shorter and less curved horns. The pelage is short across the body and varies from black to reddish brown, depending on subspecies, sex, and age class. The forest subspecies is reddish brown. There is a fringe of long hairs on the ears and a short mane. The tail is long, ending in a prominent black tuft of hairs.

DISTRIBUTION

At a broad level, it is distributed in Africa from Guinea to southern Sudan and then south to Angola and eastern South Africa. Within large portions of this range, its populations are confined to nature reserves. Across its geographic range, it inhabits

low to high elevations as long as there are sufficient amounts of suitable habitat. It is particularly abundant in parts of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

HABITAT

Most abundant in savannas and riparian complexes (e.g., swamps and river floodplains), but it also occupies forests, grasslands, and shrublands from plains to mountains. In savannas, it requires large areas of dense grass with thickets or trees for resting cover. Populations that are forest dwelling obtain sufficient cover from the trees and bushes, but must meet their food requirements by frequenting small openings among the forest where ground vegetation such as grasses and forbs are abundant. Visit waterholes and muddy areas where they can drink and also wallow.

BEHAVIOR

Form large groups comprised of subgroups complexly structured by sex and age. This structure is in part hierarchically maintained by social dominance. Herd size is mediated by broad habitat factors. In forest-dwelling buffalo, groups are generally between 3–12 individuals comprised of females, their calves, and yearlings; in open habitats, herds are larger, are usually 50–500 animals, but occasionally reach up to 3,000. These largest herds lack the cohesion of the smaller typical groups. Adult females, their young, and males up to three years old form relatively stable subgroups within the herd; males older than three years form their own subgroups, while many males older than 10 years are solitary. Together, these subgroups move about within the larger herd, as it moves throughout its home range. During the dry season, some of the all-male subgroups may leave the herd to exploit feeding opportunities in an increasingly nutritionally challenging environment. In most areas, breeding occurs in the rainy season soon after calves are born. Males test the urine of females to determine if they are in estrus; when ready to mate, the cow will stand and allow the bull to mount and copulate.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Primarily grazers on savannas, consuming vast quantities of grasses. However, the subspecies inhabiting forests include a relatively large amount of shrubs in their diet. Not highly selective feeders, so can acquire the bulk of their forage more easily where there are tall grasses.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Polygynous. Reproduction is tied closely to the rainy season. The gestation period is approximately 11.5 months. Cows first calve when 4.5–5 years old, producing a single young, although occasionally twins are born. Thereafter, mature cows typically reproduce ever two years. Males do not participate in the rut until they are about seven years old.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Classified as Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent. After rinderpest epidemics around the turn of the century, it was greatly reduced across much of its range and extirpated in some regions. Since then, populations have increased and the species has reoccupied much of its former range. However, loss of lower elevation habitat to agriculture has restricted it to nature reserves in many areas.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Hunted by local peoples for meat. As well, it has a reputation for being dangerous and so with its formidable size, this adds to its allure for trophy hunters. Such reputation also makes it undesirable in areas inhabited by humans.

For more information on Cape buffalo, visit Britannica.com.

Cape Buffalo redirects here.

African Buffalo
Conservation status
Conservation Dependent
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Bovidae Subfamily: Bovinae Genus: Syncerus Hodgson, 1847
Binomial name
Syncerus caffer (Sparrman, 1779)
Subspecies
S. c. caffer S. c. nanus S. c. brachyceros S. c. mathewsi'

The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae. It is up to 1.7 meters high, 2.8 meters long. On average, an adult male stands about 1.5 m high at the shoulder and weighs 600–750 kg, while a female is 10–15 cm shorter and weighs between 400 and 550 kg. Bulls at ten years of age or older can reach or exceed 900 kg. The African Buffalo is not closely related to the slightly larger Wild Asian Water Buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear.^[1] Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes it highly dangerous to humans, it has not been domesticated like its Asian counterpart, the Domestic Asian Water Buffalo.

Overview

The Cape Buffalo is a very powerful creature, demanding respect from even a pride of lions when paths cross. Other than humans, they have few natural predators and are capable of defending themselves against (and sometimes killing) lions.^[2] Lions do kill and eat buffalo regularly, but it typically takes multiple lions to bring down a single adult buffalo; only large male lions have been known to take down adult buffalo on their own. The leopard and spotted hyena are a threat only to newborn calves. The African Buffalo has never been domesticated.

Known as one of the "big five" in Africa, the African Buffalo is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, as it gores and kills several people every year.^[3] Buffalo are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is sometimes made of Hippopotami or Crocodiles.^[4] Buffalo are notorious among big game hunters as very dangerous animals, with wounded animals reported to ambush and attack pursuers.^[5]

Range and habitat

Cape Buffalo occur from open savannah to thickly wooded country, and wallow when the opportunity presents itself. They are found in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzanian.

An African Buffalo Bull.

Social behavior and reproduction

The main herd consists of females and their offspring. Males will form bachelor groups with dominance hierarchies. Old males normally live alone. A male is recognizable by the thickness of his horns, and is called the "Boss." During the mating season the bachelor groups stay with the herd and fight among each other for females.

Cows first calve at five years of age, after a gestation period of 11.5 months. Newly born calves remain hidden in vegetation for the first few weeks while being nursed occasionally by the mother before joining the main herd. Calves are held in the centre of the herd for safety. ^[6] Males leave their mothers when they are two years old and join the bachelor groups.

Status

The current status of African cape buffalo is dependant on the existence of the animals value to both trophy hunters and tourist paying the wave for conservation efforts through anti-poaching patrols, village crop damage payouts, and CAMPFIRE payback programs to local areas.

The current total number of cape buffalo is spread throughout non-desert southern Africa from the Egypt in the North to South Africa in the South. The cape buffalo are estimated to number around a million, but quality counts are not possible with the lack of research funding in places like Sudan, Chad, Zaire, and Benin. Most professional hunters, safari outfitters, and wildlife professionals believe the number to be only representing the actual Cape subspecies, and not counting the Nile, North-East, or Forest buffalo.

Gallery

19 century drawing	Herd	In Kenya at Sunset	They did not actually fight.
A typical "dagga boy" from Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania.	Cape Buffalo and her calf.

See also

• Wild Asian Water Buffalo
• Domestic Asian Water buffalo

References

• Antelope Specialist Group (1996). Syncerus caffer. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
• Huffman, B. 2006. The ultimate ungulate page. UltimateUngulate.com. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). 2006. Syncerus caffer,
• Nowak, R.M. and Paradiso, J.L. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore, Maryland, USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801825253

External links

• http://www.nature-wildlife.com/buftxt.htm
• Video:Battle Kruger
• Buffalo images
• Hypervideo showing buffalos fending off lion attack

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Syncerus caffer

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