02/06/2025
Facts About Cape Buffalo
* Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large and powerful herbivore primarily found in the grasslands, savannas, and marshes of Africa
* You can eat Cape buffalo meat. It is a lean, red meat that is considered healthy and tastes similar to beef, although some find it slightly sweeter and more delicate. While not specifically addressed in the search results, it is generally considered safe to eat the meat of a Cape buffalo, provided it is handled and cooked properly
* The Cape buffalo is called "Black Death" due to its aggressive and unpredictable nature, especially when wounded, as well as its size and powerful horns. They are known to charge hunters and can be incredibly resilient, even after taking multiple shots
* The record price for a Cape buffalo bull in South Africa is R176 million. This price was reached for the buffalo bull "Horizon," valued at R176 million. This makes "Horizon" the most expensive wild animal ever sold in South Africa.
Key points:
Record Price: R176 million.
Buffalo Bull: "Horizon".
Location: South Africa.
Significance: Most expensive wild animal ever sold in SA.
Factors: Horns measuring 55 inches wide, and disease-free status, which is crucial for breeding and hunting.
Other notable sales: Another buffalo, Inala, was sold for R168 million in 2016.
*At Bealey we had two white buffalo calves:These calves are not albinos, please note that the muzzle, hooves and eyes are generally pigmented. With age the colour of these calves progresses to a pale cream colour, then a honey blonde, and then a light brown - as they get darker with age. The condition is called leucism, and is caused by a recessive gene.
*There are five subspecies of buffalo in Africa: Cape buffalo, Congo buffalo, Sudan buffalo, Nile buffalo and Virunga buffalo. The subspecies found at Bealey Buffel &Phiva Game Lodge is the Cape buffalo, which is the largest of all the buffalo subspecies.
*A cow or female Cape buffalo can weigh up to 530 kg (1168 lbs) and a bull can reach up to 830 kg (1830 lbs).
*Buffaloes prefer the stay in large groups. The collective term for a group of buffalo is called a herd but can also be called a gang, troop or an obstinacy.
*Buffalo calves suckle from between the back legs of their mothers. This is an adaptation to help make feeding easier for the calf as their mother, and the rest of the herd, is on the move all the time.
*The Cape buffalo is sometimes referred to as the mafia of the bush. They have the tendency to take revenge when messed with and have been known to circle back, stalk and attack or kill hunters. Talk about the hunter becoming the hunted!
*You can distinguish between adult males and females by looking at their horns. If the base of their two horns come together and form a solid structure (called a boss) then it is a male. The horns of an adult buffalo cow don't touch. *When male Cape buffaloes fight they use their horns and their massive muscular bodies to administer heavy blows to their opponents.
*Buffalo are excellent swimmers and won't hesitate to cross a river to escape a predator or to reach new grazing lands.
*A buffalo has a four-chambered stomach. They are called bulk feeders as they need to eat a large amount of grass to sustain their body size. They also need to drink about 40 litres of water per day to keep their digestive system operating optimally and ensure that they can produce enough saliva to swallow and regurgitate their food for re-chewing.
*Buffalo have to constantly manage the external parasites on their bodies. This is done by wallowing in the mud to kill off ticks and other parasites on their skin. They also have a secret weapon to help keep them clean. They allow oxpecker birds to eat the ticks on their legs, tails, backs, inside their ears and even inside their noses!
* The gestation period for an African buffalo is 330 days, which is about 11 months. This means that a female buffalo will carry a single calf for approximately 11 months before giving birth
*The main predator of Cape buffaloes is the lion. It usually takes quite a few lions to bring down an adult buffalo. Buffalo will defend themselves fiercely and are capable of killing a lion.
We hope you have enjoyed learning more about these big bulky bovines
