African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Artiodàctils)
- FamilyBovidae (Bòvids)
- GenusSyncerus (African Buffaloes)
- SpeciesSyncerus caffer (African Buffalo)
The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large species of true buffalo native to Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is found in a number of disconnected ranges stretching from south-eastern Senegal through West and Central Africa to South Africa. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases that form a continuous bone shield, referred to as a "boss", across the top of the head. The African buffalo is more closely related to Asian buffalo (Bubalus) species than it is to other bovids such as American bison or domestic cattle. Its unpredictable temperament may be part of the reason that the African buffalo has never been domesticated and has no domesticated descendants, unlike the wild yak and wild water buffalo, which are the ancestors of the domestic yak and water buffalo, respectively. Natural predators of adult African buffaloes include lions, African wild dogs, spotted hyenas, and Nile crocodiles. As one of the Big Five game animals, the Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer), the largest subspecies native to eastern and southern Africa, is a sought-after trophy in hunting. Wikipedia →
60–70% of wildlife watchers report a African Buffalo sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 45 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Aberdare National Park
Northern Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Bush Duiker
Sylvicapra grimmia
Suni
Neotragus moschatus
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Thomson's Gazelle
Eudorcas thomsonii
Black Fronted Duiker
Cephalophus nigrifrons
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
Bongo
Tragelaphus eurycerus
Bohor Reedbuck
Redunca redunca
Giant Forest Hog
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Buffalo in Aberdare National Park?
About 69% of wildlife watchers report a African Buffalo sighting in Aberdare National Park, based on 45 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Buffalo in Aberdare National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for African Buffalo in Aberdare National Park in our monthly data.