THE AFRICAN BUFFALO 



is a host for ticks which cling to it as readily as 

 they do to domestic cattle. Buffaloes are as highly 

 susceptible to any newly-introduced diseases as 

 are cattle, and this animal may, therefore, easily 

 be a means of propagating and spreading cattle 

 plagues. We know also that wild animals in time 

 become immune to various diseases, and, although 

 the parasites which cause these diseases live and 

 thrive in their blood, they do their hosts no harm ; 

 but when carried by ticks or blood-sucking flies 

 to the blood of susceptible domestic cattle, they 

 once again become as virulent as ever. Sleeping 

 sickness and Tsetse fly or Ngana disease are examples. 



The Buffaloes associate in herds of numbers 

 varying from a dozen to a couple of hundred. The 

 large herds consist of two or more herd bulls with 

 cows and calves of varying ages. Small troops 

 usually consist of one adult bull with cows and calves. 



Old males which have been overcome and driven 

 from the herd by younger rivals, lead a solitary 

 existence, or join in small troops by themselves. 



The Buffalo prefers the bush-veld and slopes 

 covered with thorny bush, where there is ample 

 open grassy ground and water within a reasonable 

 distance. It is only when frequently persecuted 

 that they make the thick forest their permanent 

 home. 



Like the Eland, the Buffalo is constantly accom- 

 panied by the Rhinoceros Bird, which is one of the 

 Starling (Buphaga) group, and the Buffalo Weaver 



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