These impressive mammals are incredibly powerful and amongst the most successful grazers in Africa. Their big build, with broad chests, large heads and thick horns equips them to deal with life in a range of habitats.
Typically reddish brown or dark mahogany, with coarse bristly hairs, male buffalos are bigger than females. Both grow backwards sweeping horns though those of the male are larger and thicker. They have big, drooping fringed ears and excellent hearing which alerts them to any potential dangers in the wild.
Congo buffalo herds can vary in size but the core is made up of females and their offspring with sub-herds forming part of the larger whole. Incredibly, herds display behaviour which suggests they can operate collectively to protect both individuals or the herd itself from danger as well as make collective decisions.
They have very few predators, apart form humans who continue to trophy hunt them. When attacked, herds bring calves to the middle to protect them. By sticking together predators find it harder to pick off a single animal.
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