African Buffalo

The African Buffalo is a large member of the cattle family native to Sub-Saharan Africa. There are four subspecies, the largest of which is the Cape Buffalo, which is found across swamps, floodplains and savannahs across Eastern and Southern Africa. Large males can weigh up to 1,000kg (2,200lbs) and are identifiable by their large horns, which fuse at the base to form a shield known as a Boss. Females are slightly smaller and their horns do not form a boss. African buffalo are grazers and can eat grass more quickly than many other African herbivores. They are almost always found near a reliable water source.

African buffalo are very social, living in herds typically made up of related females and their young, overseen by a few males, one of which is dominant over the others. Buffalo have few predators, with only the Lion and the Nile Crocodile known to attack and kill fully-grown adults. These attacks are rare, as buffalo have been known to attack and kill lions and will often move to assist a herd-member that is being attacked, especially a calf.