African Buffalo

Discussions and information on all Southern African Mammals
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Richprins
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Re: African Buffalo

Post by Richprins »

Sprocky's town looks quite neat! :shock:


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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

Post by Lisbeth »

Buffaloes make a comeback at Balule

Posted on 24 June, 2019 by Sausage Tree Safari Camp in Destinations, Kruger, South Africa, Wildlife

Image
© Sausage Tree Safari Camp

There’s no doubt that the drought that ended in November last year hit buffalo numbers extremely hard here at Sausage Tree Camp in the Balule Private Nature Reserve. The drought accounted for a drop of some 50% in the Kruger National Park’s buffalo numbers so it’s easy to understand how numbers in the surrounding Greater Kruger reserves were also devastated.

We were certainly battling to see any buffalo at all on game drives, and the animals that survived were inevitably weakened and often diseased, meaning that predation – primarily by lions – increased exponentially.

But now there is good news as their population numbers are bouncing back after life-giving rains finally broke the drought! We now regularly see a herd of some 70 or 80 animals on our game drives, and there have been a huge number of calves born during the rainy season so that number is steadily increasing.

Image
© Matthew Sussens / Sausage Tree Safari Camp

Buffaloes perform a critical role in an ecosystem in alleviating the pressure of ticks from other mammals. They carry a huge infestations of these parasites, providing much-needed sustenance to the red-billed and yellow-billed oxpeckers that are always seen hanging on to their hides, keeping these disease-bearing biters at bay. Without the buffalo, tick populations explode, negatively impacting the other animals they feed on to the point of killing them – literally bleeding them dry. We saw several incidences of tick-infested impala who had died as a result of anaemia caused by the ticks literally taking too much blood out of their system to allow them to recover the red blood cells and associated oxygen levels needed to survive.

Another important thing buffaloes do is fertilise soil through their dung. Yes, buffalo dung, though smelly, is extremely good for the earth, helping to restore much needed nutrients and nitrogen levels that in turn are needed to help seeds germinate and plants grow. So fewer buffalo means less fertile soil, which in turn compounds the effects of the drought. Thankfully, the surfeit of buffalo manure since the rains came has made this latest green season one to remember!

Of course, the buffalo is also a vital food source for our predators – lions, hyenas and leopards – so the increase in numbers is good news for buffalo-eaters, putting healthy red meat firmly back on the menu!

Image
© Sausage Tree Safari Camp

Lions, like those from our resident Takazile pride, use strength of numbers to overcome adult buffaloes, usually attacking from the rear in an attempt to get them off balance and bring them down. Hyenas use similar methods, usually singling out smaller, weaker-looking animals as their targets. Leopards, on the other hand, opt for a more patient and stealthy approach, attacking calves and then waiting for them to weaken and fall behind before closing in to finish them off.

However, hunting buffalo is far from easy for these predators, as they are famous for their defence of one another and will retaliate readily, chasing and charging down predators. Their horns are lethal, as are their hooves, and many an unwary lion has been fatally wounded in the resulting skirmishes.


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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

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Wow! Buffalo launches lion into air to save lizard

phpBB [video]


Have you ever seen a lion being thrown into the air by a buffalo, do 3 flips and then land on its feet? Now you have.

Business System Manager, Sune Eloff (32), was out for a drive on the H4-1, just west of Lower Sabie, in the Kruger National Park, when she came upon an almost funny interaction between a buffalo and a young lion who was trying to catch a monitor lizard.

The Interesting events soon started to unfold says Sune who shared her footage with Latestsightings.com.

“We spent some time at Sunset dam watching impala coming down for a drink. We decided to move on and saw some lions sleeping in the riverbed..

"They were so calm and peaceful and then suddenly we saw all of them get up and move into the reeds. At this point I took out my camera as they were watching something that we could not see.

Sune describes how a young lion came out of the reeds with a water monitor lizard that he had just caught.

It was then that a herd of buffalo in the vicinity noticed that the lion's antics.

Bizarrely, the video shows how one of them comes storming in as if he knew this lizard needed protecting.

"To our absolute astonishment, the buffalo proceeded to get his head right under the puzzled lion and somersault him through the air. It was crazy!"says Sune.

"I had mixed feelings... the excitement of everything happening was overwhelming. I felt bad for the young lion, but luckily he had enough brains to know that he needed to get out of there, and fast, so off he ran.

Finally the three dagga boys (male buffaloes) charged into the reeds, with the lions eventually scampering off.

"I have never seen anything like this in my life and I’ve been a Kruger visitor since the age of 2, definitely a first for me!”


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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

Post by Lisbeth »

Bizarrely, the video shows how one of them comes storming in as if he knew this lizard needed protecting.
0- 0-

People should be a bit more careful in expressing certain animal sentiments :O^


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Alf
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Re: African Buffalo

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But this is an old video -O-


Next trip to the bush??

Let me think......................
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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

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Quite possible 0*\ The newspapers should stop posting old videos as if they were from yesterday O/


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Peter Betts
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Re: African Buffalo

Post by Peter Betts »

The Lion is a female lioness ..the article refers to the lion as a he =O: =O: =O: =O: =O: Par for the course for A Kruger Sightings broadcast


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Richprins
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Re: African Buffalo

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Interesting! :shock:


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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

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phpBB [video]

One for all and all for one! Obstinacy of buffalo rescue friend from hungry lions

Are buffaloes the real kings and queens of the animal kingdom? Buffaloes and lions like to fight. And more often than not, the buffalo reigns supreme.

What a moving show of affection this Latest Sightings video was (see above). It shows an obstinacy of buffalo showing their loyalty as they come to the rescue of a fellow buffalo, under attack by a pack of hungry lions.


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Lisbeth
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Re: African Buffalo

Post by Lisbeth »

Maybe buffaloes are not that stupid afterall -O- ;-)


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