[online] Available at: [Accessed 31 October 2020]. These massive animals are also excellent swimmers and often cross rivers in search of better grazing. 2020. This is difficult, as cows are quite evasive and attract many males to the scene. Fact Number 1: Where African Buffaloes Live. Approximately seventy-five percent of the buffaloes live in protected areas while the rest roam in the world. The video is a little grainy (was shot back in 2007) but makes up for it with pretty amazing footage. They are aggressive amongst themselves, other animals such as lions and intruders, for example, human beings. During the dry season, males split from the main herd, forming bachelor groups. or black (in savannah-living races) to bright red (forest buffalo). Calves make a similar call of a higher pitch when in distress. into a known as a "boss". WebAfrican buffalo diet in a woodland andbush-dominated biome as determinedby stable isotope analysis D.J. Most of their feeding takes place at night though may also occur during cool periods of the day. They avoid very large (elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus) and very small (hare, monkey, hyrax, dik-dik) prey, but will take domestic livestock. Keep in mind that there are four subspecies of African buffalo, giving them all unique characteristics. Cows produce croaking calls when looking for their calves. African Buffalo. When sparring, the bulls twist their horns from side to side. Similar to the fact above, Cape buffalo are indeed the most aggressive buffalo in the world. Male Asiatic lions have smaller manes than African lions. Cape buffalo, Congo buffalo, dwarf forest buffalo, Buffle d'Afrique, When being aggressive, they make explosive grunts that may last long or turn into a rumbling growl. African buffalo calves usually become independent between one and two years of age. They weigh different sizes. 120-133 cm. African buffalo facts, pictures and video. African buffalo are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning that both males and females mate with multiple partners. It may come as a surprise that the African Cape buffalo can go toe-to-toe with a lion, ending with a bloody battle. Out of all the wonderful creatures, youre most likely to bump into the fierce African Cape buffalo, a buffalo unique to Ugandas animal kingdom. A Buffalo group is referred to as a herd. 16. distribution of this species has shrunk due to hunting and disease issues. When they reach about seven or eight years old, their bosses become hard. The average Cape buffalo weighs anywhere from 425 kg to 875 kg (9351,910 pounds), making them extremely heavy and durable. In the past, numbers of African buffalo suffered their most severe collapse during the great rinderpest epidemic of the 1890s, which, caused mortalities as high as 95% among livestock and wild ungulates. They will also eat anything that grows in marshland, such as reeds, grasses, rushes, and sedges. Predators such as lions have found to their cost that if you mess with one African buffalo, you mess with the whole herd! 18. The gestation period is 11 months, and one single calf is born. Their head is carried low and their top is located right below the backline. At the zoo: Hay and vitamin supplements. Every animal has a favorite pastime when they relax and do nothing else. Here youll be able to learn something that you may not have been aware of, well be exploring 23 Cape buffalo facts. The African buffalo is one of the most successful grazers in Africa. The species is widespread, and the estimated size of the global population ranges between 500,000 and 1,000,000 individuals, with the majority occurring in protected areas. Actual fights are violent but rare and brief. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The "Big Five" - Delegate Travels - Your Escape To Africa, Sorted! The buffaloes get rid of the ticks and other parasites by dipping in mud. Is it Legal to Hunt Cape Buffalo? Their enclosures must also be quite large because they are social, and live in groups. Herds often contain individuals of different coloration. Those are the eleven facts about the African buffalo. Learn about the 6 differences between horns and antlers. Females and males both mate with multiple partners. A type of voting behavior has been observed in African buffalo herds: when its time to move, individual members of the herd demonstrate using body language which direction they want to go. Webshow that buffalo have a relatively broad diet 44 plant species exceeding that of other grass-eating ruminants in thicket (e.g. The species has gone extinct in Eritrea, Gambia and Lesotho. The African buffalo forms symbiotic relationships with, Natural predators of the African buffalo include, They African buffalo is a member of the Big Five African animals along with the. The typical home range of a savanna-type buffalo herd is from 126 to 1,075 km2. In zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. It lives in the tropical rainforests of western and central Africa and is also known as the Congo buffalo. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. Buffalo are exclusively grazers. It is estimated that around 900,000 Cape buffalo roam the grasslands of Africa, making them one of the most populated mammals that arent endangered. They stay with them throughout the season to protect the calves. Even though they can be quite vicious, these animals are herbivores and eat only plants. As a ruminant they will bring cud back up in their mouth from the stomach and chew it again to ensure they extract the greatest amount of energy and nutrients from their food. Ill let you do the math on why they wouldnt make a good pet! age and may thus have dark patches mingled with the red base color. How Often Do Cape Buffalo Give Birth? They are listed Least Concern by the IUCN and more than three-quarters of their native land is in protected areas. Cape buffalo are herbivores, and so eat only vegetation. WebAfrican-Americans have a prevalence rate 2X higher than their white counterparts. Only males have dark tail tufts, which conceal tail bone spurs in some specimens. That is why though buffaloes are social animals, you will occasionally find a lone buffalo in the wild. African buffalo make various vocalizations. During the wet season, buffalos do still eat shrubs, but they tend to eat plants that are water-based such as water lilies and algae. Savannas are the area where the buffalo graze, while the marshes serve as wallows and help with the insects. The large body is covered with a sparse coat of dark brown fur. Suborder: These large mammals are successful in many different habitat types. Humans reduce their population through hunting both for trophies and meat. They emit low-pitched calls to signal the herd to move. Tribe: It is also known as the southern savanna buffalo. However, when a new calf is born, the bonding ends and the mother keeps her previous offspring at bay with horn jabs. The horns kind of form a shield usually called a boss. 2020. Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape buffalo, is the typical subspecies, and the largest one, found in Southern and East Africa.S. Both sexes have horns, those of the bulls are characterised by a heavy boss and upward curved horns. A female will typically breed once every two years. Unlike many other animals in the African Jungle, the African buffaloes are very aggressive animals. When chased by predators, a herd sticks close together and makes it hard for the predators to pick off one member. Length. Buffalo (the highest contribution in all seasons for both sexes) showed a constant contribution to male diet throughout the seasons, and a lower contribution to female diet in the early dry season. It is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. The African buffalo is a heavily-built animal with stocky limbs, a short neck and a large head that is carried low (the top of the head is usually below shoulder height). Buffaloes have a two-year interval between breeding. London: Dorling Kindersley. As of 2018, the population seems to be increasing 10,000 every year, allowing us to witness growth in a species. The West African savanna buffalo is found in central and West African countries including Sudan, Ghana, Benin and Cameroon. Related females and their young form the core of the herd. Prey are threatened by increased commercialization of bushmeat and habitat loss. However, buffaloes are excellent swimmers and can cross large deep rivers searching for food. From a genetic standpoint, the main difference is that African lions have one infraorbital foramen (hole in the skull for nerves and blood vessels to the eyes), while Asian lions have a bifurcated infraorbital foramen. A bull approaches another, lowing, with his horns down, and waits for the other bull to do the same thing. The African buffalo can be found at elevations as high as 4,000m (13,000ft) above sea level. BREEDING. The lion is the only cat with different appearances for males and females. Buffaloes quickly degrade in the absence of fresh green forage. Pride composition differs between the two types of lions, too. Because they are such powerful animals, any interaction between them and zookeepers occurs in protected contact, where there is a physical barrier between the keeper and the animal. It is estimated that around 200 people die every year from these animals, labeling them as one of the most dangerous creatures in Africa. Forest-type buffaloes are 30-40% smaller, reddish-brown in color, with much more hair growth around the ears and with horns that curve back and slightly up. Other interesting African buffalo facts: On average, the African buffalo is active 18 hours per day. 1st ed. In addition to eating grass, buffaloes also drink water. WebFun Facts for Kids. Bovines are members of the Bovinae animal subfamily (which is part of the animal family Bovidae, which also includes animals such as antelopes, sheep and goats). Herds will stick together Averaging out at a trophy fee of $10,000, youd better be prepared for a fight. Unlike their distant cousin the Asian Water Buffalo, humans have not domesticated African or Cape species in any way. The horns The color of the African buffalo varies depending on the subspecies: the savanna-type subspecies (see below) tend to be black or dark brown in color, while the forest-type subspecies is typically red. Cubs are often killed by hyenas, wild dogs, and leopards. The young males keep their distance from the dominant bull, which is recognizable by the thickness of his horns. Unlike other groups of large African mammals, Cape buffalo herds often have more than 1,000 members at any given time, making it extremely difficult to hunt. All animals have different gestation periods. This species numbers are decreasing and it is currently classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. There are many other facts about buffaloes. About 80% of cubs die, but those that survive to adulthood may live to be 10 to 14 years of age. The dominant males stay close to and guard the females that are in estrus (ready to mate). According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of African buffalo is approximately 569,000-573,000 individuals. They fight for dominance and breeding rights with other males by pressing and ramming their heads together. In this now famous video (Battle at Kruger), you can see the aggressive nature of Cape buffalo especially when in a herd. It prefers to eat grass and herbs but will also feed on other plant matter, such shrubs and trees, when its preferred food is not available. In the wild: Coarse grasses, leaves, herbs and foliage. Savannah-type buffalo have black or dark brown coats with age. Females exhibit some sort of "voting behavior". distinct markings on the body, although forest buffalo tend to darken with ), making them extremely heavy and durable nothing else per day to and guard females! Sparse coat of dark brown fur forming bachelor groups pitch when in distress to... A lone buffalo in the African buffalo are indeed the most dangerous animals in Africa only.! Stay close to and guard the females that are in estrus ( ready to mate ) why buffaloes... ( not to be confused with a lion, ending with a granivore ) is an herbivorous animal feeds... 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