African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Size:
Head and body length:
1.7 – 3.4 m
Height: 1 – 1.7
m
Weight: 250 –
850 kg
Description:
Looks like a large cross between an ox and a cow, with
thick horns that come out sideways from the top of the skull. Dark gray to black with lighter undersides, often
covered with mud from wallowing. Both
males and females have horns, although the males develop a horn “shield” across
the forehead, and males are significantly larger than females overall.
Breeding:
Gestation is 11 ½ months, and
mating and calving happen mostly during the rainy season. Calves can stand by about 10 minutes after
birth. They can begin to follow the
mother after several hours, but are unstable for several weeks. Mothers’ loyalty is often split between
offspring and the herd, and they will sometimes abandon young that can not keep
up when fleeing.
Where to look for them:
These animals can be found in
a variety of habitats, from open savannah to rainforest to river’s edge. They prefer a mixture of these areas, and
particularly like wallowing in mud holes during the day.
Interesting Facts:
- African buffalo create good habitat for many
other species of antelope after they move through an area. They are called “bulk grazers”, because
they feed on large quantities of low-quality food. This exposes the shorter, higher-quality
grasses that are favored by animals like the Uganda kob. In the 1960’s, there were about 30,000
buffalo in Murchison
Falls, compared to
3,000 as of 1999. As their numbers once
again increase, they may pave the way for an increase in population of
many other species.
- They may look slow, but don’t count on outrunning
one. Buffalo can run 60 kph across open
terrain and they are one of the most feared and dangerous animals in Africa. Their
behavior is often unpredictable, and
- They may gather in herds of over 1,000 members in
Murchison Falls.
Conservation Status:
African buffalo are plentiful
throughout Sub-Saharan Africa both in and out of game parks. There is, however, a forest sub-species who’s
numbers are declining in western and central Africa. Livestock diseases carried by cattle are a
risk.
Lifespan: 15 – 25 years