African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

[Spalea]

Although the Cape buffalo isn't the biggest wild bovid on the Earth, and this perhaps by far (perhaps 300 kilos less than the biggest gaurs and American buffalos), I found it very impressive. It's perhaps due to its horns (the fact to see them merging on the top of the skull contrary to the other bovids), its reputation for being aggressive (lot of hunters during the XIXth century told it was the most dangerous animal to shoot)...

I remember in Kenya (1989), we were going by car inside the Masai Mara park, on a narrow road (ruggedized path). After having drive a bend we were suddendly in front of a big buffalo like this one, on the photo below... An angel was passing, there was a hushed silence. You're feeling rather very very weak especially when sitting on the death seat. The driver cut the engine, the bovid didn't move... And went out of the road.

*This image is copyright of its original author

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