Cape Buffalo ( Syncerus caffer caffer )
Cape Buffalo - Cape Buffalo information - Cape Buffalo facts, pictures, photos
Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) or also called the African buffalo is a mammal at the order of Artiodactyla, and family Bovidae. It is one of the most dangerous game animals, with human as the only natural enemy. They can defend themselves also against lions.
Cape Buffalo live on the open pastures, close to jungle and swampy ground where they can wallow. They can be found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
Cape buffalo is massive built with powerful limbs and cow’s tail. The average height of male is 150 – 170 centimetres, length – up to 3 metres and weight is 425 – 900 kg. Females are about 10% smaller. It head is board with wide mouth, bare, with moist nostrils and drooping ears. Characteristic are its horns. According to them, age and sex can be differentiated. Mature males have broad base shielding forehead with horns up to 100 centimetres wide and 150 centimetres long along curve. Females’ horns are 10 to 20% smaller, without boss. Their fur is short, thin and scant, mostly bark or dark brown.
Buffalos are non-territorial and extremely sociable animals, living in large mixed herds (having up to 1500 animals) that inhabit exclusive traditional home ranges (its large depend of large of the herd).
The gestation period of cows is 11 and half months. The have first calves at five, bulls mature at eight.
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