The wildlife in South Africa is truly amazing. If you go on a safari, you will hear the term Big Five all the time. Cape Buffalo is part of the big five gang in Africa.
When we asked our guides, why the African Buffalo or the Cape Buffalo is the part of the Big 5 rather than the much larger hippo, we were told that it was not just size that determined the entry to the Big 5 club.
Big 5 is a traditional way to identify the 5 most dangerous animals in the bush. Cape Buffalo being one of the Big 5, the other 4 are lion, leopard, elephant and rhino. I have now seen 4 out of 5, the only elusive one is the Leopard. Maybe just maybe there is going to be a next time!
Even though the Hippo looks larger than the Cape Buffalo it is considered to be much more dangerous. Our guides liked them the least, saying they were mean and unpredictable. They could kill for no reason that is what our guides told us.
They also mentioned that the Cape Buffalo in the picture was an old one and he was probably discarded from the herd. Once a buffalo grows truly old the herd throws it out, as it is no longer useful. Rather they are a liability to the group. The animal kingdom has so many rules!
The guides said that some of the old ones then hang together as they have better chance of survival that way!
What I saw on this trip was amazing but I am sure there is so much more that is there to the South African wildlife safari. I hope I will get a chance to go back to South Africa and other parts of beautiful Africa. Let us see when that happens!
It certainly is big.
Our water Buffalo is cute and calm always. 🙂
Nice Pic. ! !
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beautiful capture ! raw power yet a beauty ! 🙂
ooooops gigantic 🙂
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Wow, 4 of Big 5, that’s great….Great capture, and those birds of it adds to the beauty…
Wow gigantic, its known to bring down the lions when angry
Shalu and scary too!
Yes Tushar 😀
Thanks Our Jaipur.
Thank you My Say
Aparna it was indeed built on large dimensions and considered quite dangerous.
Meghana yes we were quite lucky.
Combo we were told such stories!
I heard that they are quite dangerous, no less than lions or tigers…. Looks it was not in a great mood either…. Nice shot……
a biggie not in mood.like the pic
Nice click. I love their horns!
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Debopam I have heard that too, we were happy that the theory was not put to any trials. 😀
Thanks Easwar.
Thanks Niranjan.
Rule of the Wild-Eat only when you are Hungry…I mean the Big 5 always follow this rule so they are Big 5…and I am saying this coz I have seen such things…
Wild beauty!!!!!!!
Nice pictures, Loved your post!
wonderful capture, Mridula! we saw African Buffaloes at Mysore zoo on this trip, and learnt about them being part of the big 5, was a big surprise to us too