Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

Description

African buffalos are placid, very bulky, ox-like grazers with heavily built limbs.  They are reddish brown to dark brown or black in color.  Males are darker than females, but both sexes have horns.  Adult buffalos can weigh more than 1000 pounds.

African buffalos are bulk grazers that prefer the savanna with plenty of grass to eat, shade, and water.  Their long tongue allows them to eat the taller, coarse grass usually avoided by other herd animals.  They avoid wide-open areas and flood plains that do not have any shade.  Buffalo drink twice a day, so they will often stay near water when feeding.

African buffalos roam in large herds of up to several thousand.  Herds establish ranges that rarely overlap with ranges of other buffalos.  Related animals within a herd will often lie with their backs touching or with chins propped on each other's backs when they are resting.

African buffalos are quiet, with the exception of some grunts and bellows during mating season.  When they are injured or threatened, they will aggressively shake their head, presenting their horns to their opponent.  An angry buffalo will also stamp its feet and charge.  In a herd, this behavior is contagious; one enraged buffalo can quickly upset the other animals.  Because African buffalos have poor eyesight and hearing, they use their highly developed sense of smell to protect themselves from predators.

African buffalos’ only predators are humans and lions.  They are capable of outrunning a lion, but it can be difficult for them to get up to speed quickly.  If a lion does take down a healthy buffalo, it runs the risk of being trampled by a powerful herd.

How to See

African buffalos can be found in the savanna, grazing on tall grasses.  Since they need access to shade and water, they will stay near water sources with trees nearby.  African buffalos are unpredictable and can be dangerous if cornered or wounded.  Please stay in your vehicle if you see one.

Status

IUCN:  Lower risk, conservation dependent
Africa: Common
Mozambique: Common
Gorongosa: Uncommon

Conservation

African buffalos play an important role in the Gorongosa ecosystem.  These bulk grazers eat the taller grasses that many other animals avoid.  Their grazing allows other animals to gain access to shorter grasses and helps them to find paths to water.  Before the wars in Mozambique, the buffalo population reached 14,000 in 1972.  In 2007, there are approximately 185.  Reintroductions of this bulk grazer will help the entire ecosystem.

Since July 2006, we have reintroduced 80 African buffalos to Gorongosa, and the inaugural group of 50 buffalo from South Africa’s Kruger National Park has already given birth to at least 15 new calves this year.  We aim to bring 200 African buffalos to the park each year for the next five years.