The Cape Buffalo 109 



stances, but, considering the enormous number of buffaloes that have been 

 shot in Southern Africa by Boers, Natives and Englishmen, these accidents 

 have been proportionately very few and far between. Personally I do not 

 consider the Cape buffalo— and I have had an immense experience of these 

 animals, and have shot well over two hundred of them, mostly on foot, 

 in every kind of surroundings — to be a naturally vicious or ferocious 



.inim. 1 



Approach an old bull incautiously, when he is smarting from wounds 

 recently received from lions, or at the hands of a human hunter, and he 

 will very likely charge without any further provocation. 



Otherwise, though he may not be inclined to run away very readily, in 

 a country where he has previously had no enemies to fear but lions, he will 

 not molest you, but will sooner or later give way before you. When 

 wounded, a buffalo nearly always does his best at first to get away, and so 

 long as he is pursued through open forest, in which he is able to see 

 his assailant approaching from a distance, will seldom charge but keep on 

 retreating. When followed into thick cover, however, it is a different 

 matter, for a wounded buffalo may be expected to charge should he 

 suddenly see his enemy appear within a few yards of him. In comparing 

 the relative danger of buffalo hunting and lion hunting, I would put the 

 matter thus. In ground where one might follow a wounded buffalo, 

 without danger, or but very little danger, it would always be. dangerous 

 to follow a wounded lion ; whilst in ground where it would be really 

 dangerous to follow a wounded buffalo, it would be more dangerous still to 

 follow a wounded lion — at least in South Africa, where a wounded lion is 

 always extremely likely to charge. In my experience, I have not found 

 old buffalo bulls more inclined to charge when wounded than herd animals, 

 and, taking a long average, the young bulls when nearly but not quite full 

 grown are, I think, the readiest to resent ill-treatment. However, I must 

 confess that an old buffalo bull, when disturbed, and standing with nose 



