Is she ready to breed? .. A buffalo’s perspective…

Yesterday I showed the size of this buffalo bull, today I show you what he was actually up to…

How does a buffalo know when a cow is ready to breed? He has her deposit a drop of urine on his nose and there he will test her readiness… (glad we’re not like that!)

I can hear him saying… “something smells suspect around here…”

“A small deposit please”  sniff sniff sniff !!!

“Not quite ready yet so you will have to wait for this magnificent body”

“You can beg all you want… and all this cupboard love will get you nowhere….”

“Stop it now… nothing for you till I say you are ready…” what a Bull !!!!

A bull will closely guard a cow that comes into heat, while keeping other bulls at bay. This is difficult, as cows are quite evasive and attract many males to the scene. By the time a cow is in full oestrus, only the most dominant bull in the herd/sub herd is there.

Looking at this Guy … I reckon he gets his Gal…

African buffalo… Viewable from the Loo…

African buffalo or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

Between Nelspruit and Middleburg in the Mpumalanga there is a highway rest stop. We tend to stop here for Linda to buy coffee and to use the restrooms (Loos). I love the men’s room as I can stand and look out of a big glass window at the animals on a farmers land.

This trip all his African Buffalo (my favourite bovine) was at the water hole.

I love this animal for its pure size and power that exudes from it. It is scared of nothing and the size and power of the bulls has been the demise of many a lion.

This trip I saw probably the biggest bull I’ve ever seen.. look at this photo, two bulls having a rub in friendship…

But look at the size of that one on the right compared to that on the left… damn he is BIG…

The African buffalo is a very robust species. Its shoulder height can range from 1 to 1.7 m (3.3 to 5.6 ft.) and its head-and-body length can range from 1.7 to 3.4 m (5.6 to 11.2 ft.).

Looking at the condition of the one on the right I’d say he was younger than the other… but look at that head size… I am impressed and would avoid walking into this guy if he got upset…. look at his skin, what good condition, this is a bull in its prime….

African buffalo…. Black Death.

African buffalo, or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

The Buffalo is by far my favourite animal. Why? Their sheer strength, tenacity and fear of nothing appeals to me. They have the “Look”, that which makes you think this is as docile as a dairy cow. But is it? No way, this Buffalo is known for killing humans, its ability when wounded by a hunter, to circle back and attack, and its apparent fear of nothing. (TO SEE A YOUTUBE CLIP SHOWING THIS, CLICK HERE, QUITE FUNNY ACTUALLY)

Known within Africa as one of the “big five”, “The Black Death” or “widow maker”, the African buffalo is widely regarded as a very dangerous animal, as it gores and kills over 200 people every year. Buffaloes are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is also made of hippos and crocodiles. (Wikipedia)

The Cape buffalo is susceptible to many diseases, including bovine tuberculosis, corridor disease, and foot and mouth disease. As with many diseases, these problems will remain dormant within a population as long as the health of the animals is good. Some wardens and game managers have managed to protect and breed “disease-free” herds which become very valuable because they can be transported. Most well-known are Lindsay Hunt’s efforts to source uninfected animals from the Kruger National Park. A beautiful video to watch of Lindsay Hunts efforts are shown in a youtube clip, (CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT)

There is nothing more majestic than the Bull Buffalo, and this one I encountered yesterday was a treat.. they say when you can see the red in his eyes, it’s too late… this guy never showed the red of his eye…

A characteristic feature of them is the adult bull’s horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield referred to as a “boss’, which can not always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet.

Its shoulder height can reach 1.7 m (5.6 ft.) and its head-and-body length 3.4 m (11 ft.). Compared with other large bovid, it has a long but stocky body (the body length can exceed the Wild water buffalo, which is rather heavier and taller) and short but thickset legs, resulting in a relatively short standing height. The tail can range from 70 to 110 cm (28 to 43 in) long. Savannah-type buffaloes weigh 500 to 900 kg (1,100 to 2,000 lb.), with males normally larger than females, reaching the upper weight range.

Adult bulls will spar in play, dominance interactions or actual fights. A bull will approach another, lowing, with his horns down and wait for the other bull to do the same thing. When sparring, the bulls twist their horns from side to side. These battles are seldom of danger to the other but some look extremely vicious. (CLICK HERE TO SEE A BATTLE BETWEEN BULLS CAPTURED ON VIDEO). The skin in the neck area can reach a thickness of 50mm (2 inches).

This is a real beauty…

The African Buffalo.. A most dangerous specie…

The African Buffalo, no relation to the cattle breeds, is a most dangerous animal. They live in big herds, with younger bulls as their protectors. The breeding bulls, the older males often roam in small groups of three or four and will join the herd at breeding times. these Bulls are the sort after trophies of hunters, a fearsome animal to tackle. It has been known to attach hunters that are following the wounded; the Lion have learnt that they take on a dangerous animal when deciding to make one a meal…

A video published on YouTube attests to this and I add a link, watch it, it may appear cruel at times but that is nature, don’t switch off it ends happily with the downed Buffalo returning to the herd.

I have been up close to a few of these and although they look docile and tame, they can turn ugly in a second. An animal one must be very wary of, that head of horn is as hard as steel, and the curved horns have been the demise of many a big Lion, and for that matter man as well.

The link to YouTube a great heart wrenching, followed by heart warming ending..  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM 

Only 67 million odd have watched this video, so maybe you have already seen it…