Trivia question for May-03-2011

Olivia thinks these guys don’t get the respect they deserve so she wanted to feature them in today’s trivia. These guys are considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa with massive weight, fearsome horns and a short temper.

Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes it highly dangerous to humans, it has not been domesticated, unlike its Asian counterpart, the domestic Asian water buffalo. They are susceptible to many diseases including Bovine tuberculosis, Corridor disease and Foot and Mouth. Like with many diseases, these problems will remain dormant within a population as long as the health of the animals is good.

When chased by predators a herd will stick close together and make it hard for the predators to pick off one member. Calves are gathered in the middle. They will try to rescue a member that has been caught. A calf’s distress call will get the attention of not only the mother but also the herd. They will engage in mobbing behavior when fighting off predators. They have been recorded treeing lions for two hours, after the lions have killed a member of their group.

So here are Olivia’s questions: Tell us what this animal is and how fast they can run when panicked. Also, tell us what the largest span of their horns measured from tip to tip.

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Natalie for getting our trivia done first.  The species we featured is the Cape Buffalo.   The Cape buffalo a.k.a. African buffalo, affalo, or nyathi is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear.  When panicked, they can run up to 36 mph.

The largest span of a Cape buffalo’s horns measured 5-feet tip to tip.  The horns of African buffalo are very peculiar. A characteristic feature of them is the fact that the adult bull’s horns have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield which can not always be penetrated even by a rifle bullet. From the base the horns diverge, then bend down, and then smoothly curved upwards and outwards.  Here is more on these guys: Cape Buffalo

Thanks for playing along 😉