Cape buffalo The deceptively docile-looking Cape buffalo is actually one of the most aggressive animals in Africa. Also known as ‘the Widowmaker’, buffalos kill up to 200 people a year, and aweigh in at 0.8 tons and with sharp horns, they’re more than a match for predators such as lions. Because they’re prolific in number, and a little bit like cattle, they don’t attract the same visitor attention as their Big Five cousins, but they’re remarkably adaptable. They can live in a wide range of habitats, from grasslands and forests to swamps and floodplains, and their daily need for water makes them relatively easy to find. Find them: Across Kruger National Park, South Africa There are large numbers of buffalo — up to 48,000 — in the north and south of South Africa’s massive and easily accessible national park. Unlike most other conservation zones, this park is open to self-drive vehicles and offers its own accommodation (‘rest camps’) to visitors, which also means more affordable prices. Its size and accessibility make it one of the premier game-watching destinations in the world, home to elephants, black and white rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, warthogs and many antelope species. Large carnivores include lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and spotted hyenas.
