African buffalo

The African buffalo is a big, strong animal that lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. You can find them in many places, from south-eastern Senegal through West and Central Africa all the way to South Africa. They look very impressive with large horns that grow on top of their heads.

African buffaloes are very close relatives of Asian buffalo but are not like American bison or domestic cattle. They have never been tamed or domesticated, so they only live in the wild. These animals are very powerful and can stand between 1.0 and 1.7 metres tall.

There are five kinds of African buffalo. The Cape buffalo is the largest and lives in Southern and East Africa. The forest buffalo is the smallest and lives in the forests of Central and West Africa. Other kinds include the Sudan buffalo, the Nile buffalo, and the mountain buffalo, which lives in the Virunga Mountains.

African buffaloes live in groups called herds. These herds are mostly females and their young, with some males nearby. The females help decide where the herd goes. When there is danger, the herd stays close together to protect each other. Males sometimes show who is stronger, but these fights are usually short.

People know about African buffaloes because they are part of the Big Five game animals. They are important for hunters and tourists, which helps protect them. There are about 400,000 African buffaloes left today.