Cape Buffalo

[Teton Chuck]

The cape buffalo is an unpredictable, and sometimes aggressive beast. It is responsible for killing on the average of 200 people per year. It is considered very dangerous to people on foot, and that is why it is one of the big five. Originally the big five were considered the most dangerous to hunt on foot. Today tourists consider the big five to be a trophy of sort by checking them off on a list. This cape buffalo was in the marshlands of the Chobe River in Chobe National Park.



Cattle egrets are often seen foraging close to cape buffalo. As the buffalo moves through the grass it scares up insects that the egret eats. The egret knows a good thing when it sees it, so it tries to keep close to the buffalo.



When the water gets too deep for the egret to walk, it takes a ride on a transport that is going where the egret wants to go. High and dry.




Sometimes the transport is no longer available, so the egret flies along, knowing that the buffalo will kick up some food on the other side of the channel.

[Krawuntzel]

Hallo Chuck
a good photographic story on the inter-racial interactions.
Erwin

[John 2]

Interest and educational set of shots chuck with dialogue to suite. Thanks.

[IzzieK]

This bovine looks like a relative of carabao (water buffalo) which my grandparents used for their rice fields when I was young. But the carabao is more a working animal than this one that you describe that kills people...Nice documentary on each shots...Well done.

[Shadowman]

Nice series, are the deaths related to people trying to treat the animal as a domestic pet?

[deetheturk]

Very good Chuck, thanks for sharing!

[Mike Buckley]

A very educational series!

[Teton Chuck]

Thanks for the comments. This is just one example of the relationship between species. Of course it happens all around us, but this one is easy to see. John, the deaths are due to people getting too close to the buffalo. They are just naturally aggressive. Izzie, they are not related to the water buffalo and no one has ever been able to domesticate them.

[BrianA61]

I remember watching a hunting show with Gerald McRaney (of Major Dad show) and he described hunting this buffalo as "being so mean, they would look at you like you owed them money." I thought that was so funny and fairly true. Nice shots, BTW.

[Teton Chuck]

Brian, they got my attention.