Usually when confronted with the question “So what are the Big5 animals?”, most people will guess that the elephant is one of them, and also the lion, and often the rhino, but, surprisingly enough, the buffalo is not often recalled. And that despite it being by far the most common of the Big5! One can see herds of hundreds roaming the Kruger Park, and they can be seen all over Africa.

The reason why it is part of the Big5 is because the very term “Big5” is a hunter term, ie. it means that it is a dangerous animal to hunt. But in no way does “Big5” mean that they are the largest of African animals, or the rarest. Far from it!

So, buffalos: what about them? Many guests and even rangers often think of them as something little more interesting than cows, but this is misleading. The buffalo is in no way an ancestor to modern cattle animals. It is also only distantly related to other bovine species. Because of their highly unpredictable and erratic behavior, buffalos have never been domesticated, hence their inclusion also into the group of the Big5. They are dangerous to humans! Over 200 people each year are killed in Africa by buffalos, making it one of the most dangerous animals to roam the African plains, right up there with the hippos and the crocodiles.

Now buffalos are very tough and heavy animals, weighing up to an astonishing 900kg in some cases. The males also have a very unique feature which is the fused bases of the horns, a base so tough that even rifle bullets will not penetrate it. The distance between the tips of the horns can measure up to a meter!

While buffalos often graze in large herds, counting up to hundreds of members, one also often spots older bulls out on their own. These are the most dangerous types! They can be very grumpy and aggressive, and one should keep a healthy distance to these guys.

See below a photo that Andre took a few days ago in the Kruger. That guy was one of those grumpy old types! Not to be messed with indeed.