The Cape Buffalo IO - 



Soon after daylight they again drink, and then continue grazing until 

 the sun begins to get warm, when they retire into thickets or forest where 

 they can obtain shelter from the sun, and here they lie and rest till late in 

 the afternoon. In the cold weather they drink only once a day, usually 

 just after dark. Where they have not been molested, buffaloes will often 

 lie all day long in the shade of trees growing immediately on the banks of 

 the river they frequent. 



Especially is this the case with the old bulls. But when persecuted 

 they retire to the densest thickets they can find, and although they never 

 go very far away from water, they will often walk, after drinking, several 

 miles in the bush, parallel with the course of a river, before lying down to 

 rest for the day. Where they have never been hunted, buffaloes are very 

 unsuspicious of danger and very easy to approach against the wind. Old 

 bulls especially will often almost refuse to get out of one's way, but lie or 

 stand gazing unconcernedly at the unwonted sight of a human being, until 

 he is within 50 yards of them, and very possibly one or other of such a 

 party of four or five old outcasts will come trotting a few paces forwards 

 to get a better view. Under such circumstances, however, I have never 

 known a buffalo bull to charge. 



If you keep walking steadily towards them, sooner or later one will 

 turn and trot off" sideways with his nose in the air, and then break into a 

 heavy gallop, and the rest will immediately follow him. 



When much persecuted, buffaloes soon become very wary, and I 

 have known them to entirely desert their usual haunts in thick cover 

 (where the thickness of the bush rendered it easy for a human enemy to 

 creep close up to them unobserved), and resort for their rest during the 

 heat of the day to the open mopani forests, where they could obtain a good 

 view in every direction. In such situations they could not have been 

 comfortable, for they were too much exposed to the heat of the sun, but 

 they were fairly safe, as no enemy could approach them unseen. 



