Buffalo

 
Setswana Name:  Nare
 
Scientific Name: 

Syncerus caffer
 

The African, or Cape, buffalo is a member of the so-called "Big Five" group of animals, with the elephant, rhino, lion and leopard.
 
Buffaloes have earned a bad reputation from hunters and other people who come in close contact with them. They are unpredictable and can be dangerous if cornered or wounded. Though they have been known to ambush men and are often accused of deliberate savagery, they are usually placid if left alone. Buffalo herds are usually placid but if alarmed they will stampede with dire consequences to any predator that happens to be in their path. The herd actively protects its members, especially if there is a distress call from a calf. The whole herd will rush to its defence and even chase lion away.
 
There is only one species of buffalo in Africa, but two distinct subspecies exist: the large savanna buffalo and the much smaller forest buffalo. The forest subspecies is only found in central and West Africa.
 
Buffaloes are large, heavy cowlike animals. Standing approximately 65 inches at the shoulder, adult males have a mass of up to 1760 pounds and females weigh up to 1650 pounds. To support the large body, the legs are very heavy. Front hooves are larger than the hind because of the extra mass they carry in the huge head and thick neck.  Adults are usually dark gray or black (or even look red or white if they have been wallowing in mud of that color) and the young are often reddish-brown. Adults lose hair as they age. Ears are large and hang below the horns. The tail is cow-like with a tip of long brown or black hair.
 
 
Both male and female buffaloes have heavy, ridged horns that grow straight out from the head or curve downward and then up. The horns are formidable weapons against predators and for jostling for space within the herd; males use the horns or “boss’ in fights for dominance.
 
Sight and hearing are both rather poor, but scent is well developed in buffaloes. Although quiet for the most part, the animals do communicate. In mating seasons they grunt and emit hoarse bellows. A calf in danger will bellow mournfully, bringing herd members running at a gallop to defend it.
 
Buffaloes can live in herds of a few hundred, but have been known to congregate in thousands during the rainy season. The females and their offspring make up the bulk of the herd. Males may spend much of their time in bachelor groups. These groups are of two types, those that contain males from four to seven years of age and those that have males twelve years and older. The older bulls often prefer to be on their own. Males do not reach their full weight until about age 10. After this, however, their body weight and condition decline, probably because the teeth become worn.
 
Reproduction
Females have their first calves at age four or five. They usually calve only once every two years. Although young may be born throughout the year, most births occur in the rainy season when abundant grass improves the nutritional level for the females when they are pregnant or nursing. The female and her offspring have an unusually intense and prolonged relationship. Calves are suckled for as long as a year and during this time are completely dependent on their mothers. Female offspring usually stay in the natal herd, but males leave when they are about four years old.
 
Habitat
The buffalo has a fairy wide habitat tolerance but requires areas with abundant grass water and cover. It shows a preference for open woodland savanna and will utilize open grassland as long as it has access to cover. The buffalo is widely distributed in the northern parts of Botswana, occurring throughout Okavango and Chobe to the northern Makgadikgadi.
 
Food
Predominantly grazers but buffalo also occasionally browse. Buffalo come to water in the early morning and late afternoon and seek out shade during the heat of the day. Most feeding takes place at night