Details
Syncerus caffer
A large bovid of sub-Saharan Africa, known for heavy horns and powerful herd defense. It lives in grasslands, savannas, and wooded edges.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
African buffalo use moist savanna, grassland, open woodland, and riparian grazing areas. Herds depend on access to water and productive grasses.
They have a massive dark body and broad horns that curve outward and downward. In mature bulls, the horn bases form a heavy boss.
Females and young form large herds, with bulls joining or moving between groups. Herd members may mob predators and defend calves together.
They are grazers that feed mainly on grasses. Seasonal rainfall shifts the herd between fresh growth and coarser dry-season forage near water.
Females usually bear a single calf within the herd. Calves follow their mothers soon after birth and benefit from group vigilance.
The species can resist large predators, but local populations are affected by disease, hunting pressure, and conversion of grazing habitat.
