Forest Buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia - mammals

Order: Artiodactyla - even-toed hoofed animals (includes pigs, sheep goats, cattle, deer)

Family: Bovidae - antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, bovids

Genus: Syncerus

Species: Syncerus caffer - African buffalo, Cape buffalo

Subspecies: Syncerus caffer nanus - forest buffalo

Weight
265-320 kg (584-705 lb)

Head-body Length
180-220 cm (71-87 in)

Shoulder Height
100-130 cm (39-51 in)

Horn width
34-72 cm (13-28 in)

Pelage
Red-brown to brown. Undersides being more pale. Short mane.

Range
Rainforest best of Central and Western Africa.

Habitat
Prefer savannas interspersed with patches of forest, reeds, or scrub.

IUCN Status
Species-level (African buffalo): Near Threatened (2018 assessment) (IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2019)

CITES Appendix
Not listed (as of Jun 2019) (UNEP 2019)

Population in Wild
Few estimates available. One rough estimate of 56,000 (2018), but unknown how many live in Central Africa.

Locomotion
Can run for bursts of speed (e.g., to outrun lions), but are not endurance runners.

Activity Cycle
Not well understood for forest buffalo.

Social Groups
Herds of small groups; some fluidity in group membership. Gregarious. Non-territorial.

Diet
Grasses, sedges, leaves, shoots

Predators
Lions, spotted hyenas, lions, humans.

Sexual Maturity
Not reported for this subspecies. Perhaps similar to other African buffalo subspecies.

Gestation
300-346 days

Litter Size
Usually one; occasionally two

Interbirth Interval
15-36 months

Birth Weight
40-53 kg (88-117 lb) at one month old

Age at Weaning
4-6 months; suckling may last until 18 months in some populations

Typical Life Expectancy
Wild populations: not reported
Managed care: no AZA estimates

Feature Facts

• Much smaller body compared to other African buffalo subspecies
• Variety of coloration and horn widths
• Thick skin to help with thermoregulation
• Mud wallowing has self-care as well as social importance
• Use dominance/threat displays to avoid fights
• Vulnerable to habitat loss, hunting, disease, and drought
• This subspecies has a disjunct distribution: one area in the forest belt of West Africa and another in Lower Guinea Forest and Congo Basin