Huge and fierce, Cape buffaloes are one of the most feared animals in Africa, so much so that they have earned the name of "widow makers" and "black death".
The Cape buffalo is a huge mass of muscles and represents a lethal threat to anyone who can find himself on their way; despite their tonnage, that can range from 500 kg to 900 kg, they are very fast and agile and are also very powerful and, as if that were not enough, they are equipped with huge horns.
The buffaloes are among the few animals that do not respond to a threat with a "fake charge" or with warning behavior, they prefer, in fact, to surprise the enemy, loading it suddenly; they are able to load up to 50 km per hour and put up the bad with large and solid horns.
In addition to charging other animals, such as their eternal enemy, the lion, the buffalo can also attack humans, in fact it is responsible for about 200 victims a year; the Cape buffalo is an animal with a fiery temperament and above all the most risky buffaloes to meet are those nicknamed "dugga".
The "dugga boys" is the name that identifies the older males, that have passed their reproductive age and spend most of their time in the mud, "dugga" in fact means "mud" in South African slang.
The buffaloes immerse themselves in the mud to protect their skin from the sun and the ticks and other insects, such as flies and tse tse flies.
The duggas usually gather in small flocks of bachelors composed of five or six individuals, they usually remain separated from the herd or follow it at a distance, accumulating delay, unable to keep up; this makes them more vulnerable and therefore more aggressive.
Their strategy is simple "the best defense is the attack", they are unpredictable and their attack can unleash without warning, even if engaged in flight, they could suddenly stop, turn around and attack.
Although the buffalo's attitude is aggressive under certain circumstances, the animal does not seek confrontation with humans or other animals.
A buffalo that feels threatened usually places itself behind a tree or a bush to put a barrier to get away from the threat, they often prefer a thorny bush called precisely "buffalo thorn; why it chooses this bush is simple: while the buffalo can protect its front with its powerful horns, the thorns of the bush protect the rest of its body, especially the back that is usually vulnerable.
This technique is very effective, so they can save the energies that they would waste in flight; moreover, considering that the lions are often lazy and hardly attack the buffalo from the front or through something thorny where, in both cases, they could be injured, the buffaloes do not risk having to fight to save their life.
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