And Why Are Cape Buffalo So Dangerous?… On Safari 19

/ Curt Mekemson
Cape buffalo are dangerous, no doubt about it. But what makes them so? The look alone says “Don’t mess with me.” The eyes, the horns, the ears and even the nose speak of danger! We were safely ensconced in our boat on the Chobe River. Did I mention that the buffalo are great swimmers…
Size matters. The big bulls can weigh up to a ton. The really big ones can reach over 6 feet in height and 11 feet in length.
Which, in no way, means that you would want to mess with a thousand pound female…
And then there are the horns. No one, not even a lion, wants to be hooked by one.
They are the boss. That is actually what the horn structure is called. The solid shield created where the horns meet is so tough that it can withstand the pressure of another large male crashing against it!
They attack as a group. You won’t be dealing with one. It could be the whole herd. They protect each other, including the young, the old and the sick. The largest males form a circle around the vulnerable with their horns pointing out. When a calf cries in alarm, the bulls come charging.
Terry, the co-owner of the Iganyana Tent Camp where we stayed on the edge of Hwange National Park, told us a story about this downed tree. His brother-in-law came to visit and went out for an evening walk. He called Terry and asked for a pick up because he heard lions. Terry jumped in his truck and rushed to the scene. He didn’t have to worry about the lions. They were up as high as they could get on the stump as the herd of buffalo ran in circles under it, threatening instant death if they dared to come down. That’s how scary they are. The week before we arrived, a herd of around a thousand came to visit the camp and stayed until 11 that night, Terry told us. No one could go back to their tent until the buffalo left! One of them left its calling card on the pathway up to the tent we were staying in. Peggy and I had a hard time imagining being in the tent while the herd roamed around outside.
We were out for an evening drive with our guide when we came across the herd crossing the road. “Be quiet,” the guide told us. “Be very quiet.” The guide waited until there was a break and dashed through it.
What our guided didn’t tell us was that the herd was coming to graze in the same field where a surprise party was being hosted for us!
While Peggy made horns, I checked out the tree for a possible escape. Just in case, you know. I’m happy to report that the buffalo happily munched away on their side of the field while we drank on ours.
Fortunately, there was a sufficient supply of alcohol with a great motto.
Enough that Peggy changed her approach to making horns. That’s it for today. The next post will be about a fishing village we visited on an island in Lake Kariba, and a carving camp we shopped at in Victoria Falls.
A few of the children from the fishing village gathered around me and demanded that I take their photo.

13 thoughts on “And Why Are Cape Buffalo So Dangerous?… On Safari 19”

  2. They look similar but are so different from the Asian domesticated water buffalo which are bigger but so gentle I saw five-year old boy herding them while riding on their backs.

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  3. How fun! Those are big animals and I had no idea that they attack in herds! Love the pics of Peggy and the “gin and tonic” saying. Lol. And best pic of all was the last, Curt. Those smiling faces are a treat. 🙂

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    • Yeah, D. You don’t want to mess with one to two thousand pound animals with sharp horns that attack in herds and are unpredictable. Grin. Thanks. And weren’t the faces great!

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  5. These are a bunch of great photos, Curt. I loved that twisty tree stump and was hoping to get an explanation about that when you were explaining about the lions trying to escape the buffalo. What a crazy scene that must have been. I started salivating at your alcohol selection. Pedro and I are midway through our annual dry March. *sigh*

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