A common sighting on safari, the African buffalo is recognisable for its robust build, impressive horns and shabby coat dripping with mud.

Do not let this photo fool you. These animals are highly unpredictable and will charge. African buffaloes are aggressive by nature and are known for their ferocious stares.

Buffalo horns are thick, solid bone used for defence and to determine dominance for mating. Large adult males have horns that meet in the middle of their heads which, are joined together by a hard shield called a ‘boss’. The larger and thicker a male’s horns are, the higher in the hierarchy that male will generally be. Females have narrower and smaller horns.

Mud wallowing is no beauty treatment. Instead, it helps with thermo regulation and aids in the control of ectoparasites (parasites that live on the external surface of hosts), such as ticks.