Cape Buffalo

Cape Buffalo

The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a bovid from the family of the Bovidae.

The African buffalo is one of the most successful grazers in Africa. It lives in swamps, floodplains as well as mopane grasslands and forests of the major mountains of Africa. Buffalo can be found from the highest mountains to sea level areas, and prefer habitat with dense cover such as reeds and thickets. Herds have also been found in open woodland and grassland.

Like the Plains zebra, the Buffalo can subsist on tall, coarse grasses. Herds of buffalo will reduce grass level to the height that is preferred by selective grazers. When feeding, the buffalo makes use of its tongue and wide incisor row to eat grass more quickly than most other African herbivores. Buffalo do not stay on trampled or depleted areas for long.

Known as one of the “BIG SIX” or “Black Death” in Africa, the African Buffalo is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, as it gores and kills several people every year. Buffalo are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is sometimes made of Hippopotamuses, Crocodiles or Bees. Buffalo are notorious among big game hunters as very dangerous animals, with wounded animals reported to ambush and attack pursuers.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Cape Buffalo are up to 1.7 meters high, 3.4 meters long. Savannah type buffaloes weigh 500-900 kg, with only males, normally larger than females, reaching the upper weight range. Forest type buffaloes are only half that size.

STATUS

The current status of African cape buffalo is dependent on the existence of the animal’s value to both trophy hunters and tourists, paving the way 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 Africa, from Egypt in the North to South Africa in the South. The cape buffalo are estimated to number around a million, but accurate counts are not possible with the lack of research funding in places like Sudan, Chad, Congo, 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.

WEAPONS USED

Buffalo are thick-skinned animals and the minimum safe caliber is the .375 Magnum. Many people have killed Buffalo with a well placed shot from .270s and 30-06’s, one old frontiersman even claimed a head shot with a .22 hornet. However, with Buffalo you can never have too much gun. If you can afford it a well oiled gleaming double rifle packing 500 grains of lead is you preferred choice.

Most PHs swear by the .375 Magnum as a starting point, with the .416s & .458s being a good compromise on price and power. Some hunters will load a soft-nosed round for the first shot, followed by solids as the animal moves off. Remember, you want to do as much damage as possible with your first shot and heavy grained, good quality soft-nosed bullets are essential.

For bow hunters, once again special regulations apply. Please contact us for the latest and most current information.