South Africa 2004/P1110029.JPG

Yeah - here's looking at you, kid! These cape buffalo bulls weigh about 1000 - 1500 pounds (500 - 700 Kg). The horns are 3-4 feet wide (roughly 1 meter). They have poor eyesight and rely on their excellent sense of smell. And they have a reputation for being very grumpy.

In a magazine, I read an account of a park ranger getting trampled by one of these guys after shooting him in the chest. The beast turned around and charged again. The ranger shot him again, twice, with his high-powered rifle, and the poor guy still got trampled again. Finally he managed to hit the buffalo's heart, and killed it. I have no idea how the ranger survived getting hit in the chest by a head like this at 20 Mph!