African Cape Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
🐃
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Pecora
Bovidae
Syncerus caffer
The Black Titan of the Savanna — The Cape Buffalo is one of Africa’s most formidable and resilient herbivores, known for its massive horns, unpredictable temperament, and cooperative herd defense. It is both a keystone grazer and a symbol of strength in African ecosystems and cultures.
Description
African Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) — The Cape Buffalo is the largest of the African bovids and one of the “Big Five” animals of sub-Saharan Africa. It thrives across varied habitats, from open grasslands to woodlands, swamps, and river valleys. These social animals live in large herds that can number in the hundreds, using their strength and coordination to protect calves from predators such as lions.
The species exhibits significant subspecies variation — from the massive Cape Buffalo (S. c. caffer) of southern Africa to the smaller Forest Buffalo (S. c. nanus) of Central Africa. Adult males feature a thick, fused horn base known as a “boss,” used in dominance battles and defense. Despite their heavy build, they are surprisingly agile and capable of short bursts of speed exceeding 55 km/h.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
580
1.5
2.25
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
The Cape Buffalo has been both feared and revered by humans for millennia. Early African hunter-gatherers hunted it for meat and hides using coordinated drives and spears. In more recent centuries, it became a key species in traditional warrior rites and later in colonial big-game hunting — though modern conservation efforts now protect most populations within reserves.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (~1 million years ago): Early Homo erectus sites with butchered buffalo bones.
Border Cave, South Africa (~200,000 years ago): Stone tools associated with buffalo remains showing cut marks.
Enkapune ya Muto, Kenya (~20,000 years ago): Late Stone Age evidence of systematic buffalo hunting and butchering.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
34.8
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow, mesenteric fat
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat, mesenteric, perirenal; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4