Buffalo 🐃

A large, heavily built wild cow of sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a bony plate between the horns. Herds can number from a few to over a thousand.

Quick answers

What is it?Mammal

Carnivore?No, herbivore

Dangerous?Yes

Trophy hunters prize it for its aggression and power.

Domesticated?No

Awake when?Day & night

Hibernates?No

Kept as a pet?No

Do people eat it?Yes

Widely hunted for bushmeat, and farmed on private land for meat and skins.

At a glance

Found inAfrica

HabitatGrassland, Forest, Wetland, Scrub

ColoursBlack, Brown

SizeHuge

WeightUnder 300 to over 835 kg

Legs4

Covered inFur

Lives inherds

Lives for20–25 years

Can swim

In the wild

Where it lives

Sub-Saharan Africa.

Did you know

Herds can number over a thousand animals.

Females usually stay with their herd for life.

Often confused with

• 🦬Bison

  The American bison is often called a buffalo, but it isn’t one of the true buffalo.

  Compare side by side

On these lists

Animals of AfricaForest animalsGrassland animalsScrubland animalsWetland animalsMammalsDangerous animalsAnimals people eat

Sources

1. Wikipedia: African buffalo
2. Animal Diversity Web: Syncerus caffer
3. Wikipedia: American bison

Last reviewed 30 September 2026