Rolling in the deep: Cape buffalo gets down and dirty by giving itself a mud-pack

By PAMELA OWEN

Rolling in the deep: The Cape buffalo rolls around in the mud which helps regulate body temper and is nature's answer to a face pack

A mineral rich mud-pack can help remove the slightest of impurities so it's no surprise to see this buffalo making the most of what Mother Nature has to offer.
Annoyed with parasites and the heat of the African sun, the Cape buffalo ended up rolling over, legs in the air, just to ensure he was fully covered.
The cooling effect of the mud helps to regulate the animal's temperature and soothe its skin. Once the mud dries and falls off, it takes with it any irritating ticks or insects.
The animal was pictured by British photographers Ann and Steve Toon who were visiting the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa.

The Cape buffalo is a member of the Big Five and is regarded as the most dangerous of all the species

Ann, 53, who lives in Northumberland National Park, said: 'The buffalo was enjoying a mud bath at one of the reserve's waterholes.
'It spent quite a while rolling around by the edge of the water - getting right down into the cooling mud and making sure it got a good covering, rather like a mud-pack.
'When the mud dries later it falls off taking with it any annoying and irritating parasites or ticks so it's a bit like a conditioning treatment that helps keep the buffalo healthy.'

The mud dries off after a couple of hours taking with it some of the annoying parasites that sit on the buffalo's skin

Steve, 49, added: 'It's hard to resist taking pictures of an obviously comical situation. It looks just as though the buffalo is really enjoying getting down and dirty in the mud.'
Cape buffalos are members of the Big Five and are considered the most dangerous of the species.

Let the rolling begin: The animal starts the process of rolling around in the mud

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How the Komodo Dragon can kill a buffalo... with a bite less powerful than a pussycat

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The Komodo Dragon may have a weak bite but deploys poison, brute strength, razor-sharp teeth and a 'can-opener' bite technique when attacking prey

The Komodo Dragon has a fearsome reputation for being an adept killing machine, able to take down animals as large as buffalo with little trouble.
But, according to a new study, the world's largest lizard has a bite less powerful than an average house cat.
So how on earth does it manage it?

At more than nine feet long and weighing up to 100kg the Dragon relies on its hulk and brute strength when out hunting.
It also injects a dose of poison into its victims before ripping them to pieces with razor-sharp teeth and a 'can-opener' bite technique.

Researchers from Rutgers University in the U.S. and the University of New South Wales in Australia, attached cuts of meat for the Dragon to 'attack' for their study, published in PLoS ONE.
They found the beast relies on its hefty, muscular body to bear down on its prey while tearing away large pieces of the flesh with its serrated teeth.

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The buffalo whisperer: Luke, 13, tames one of Africa's most feared killers

By Mail Foreign Service

Kiss-off: Luke Michaelides, 13, plays with his two African wild buffalos Hop-a-long and her calf Skip-a-long

As a feared killer they belong to a group of animals known as the 'Black Death' to locals - but to 13-year-old Luke Michaelides these wild buffalo are his best friends.

Luke plays with, washes and even kisses mother 'Hop-a-long' and her offspring 'Skip-a-long', who live on the Michaelides' farmland in Limpopo, South Africa.


The species, known as the African buffalo or Cape buffalo, is a huge bovine that belongs to one of the country's 'big five' and are believed to kill over 200 people every year.

For animal whisperer Luke, who is writing a book about his relationship with the buffalo, his relationship has been built upon a slow process of trust and communication.

For the past nine months he has had the chance to get up close and personal with the creatures while his mum looks on holding her breath in fear.

'If they wanted to, Hop and Skip could rip me apart, but I don't think they will do it because I trust them,' said Luke, whose farm also houses hippos, leopards rhinos.
'I really started to get close to them at the turn of the year.

'Hop-a-long came to us in 2008 with a broken leg she had sustained after an accident with a male buffalo.

'Then eleven months later Skip-a-long was born.


Tongue-tied: As one of South Africa's most feared killers they belong to a group of animals known as the 'black death' to locals


'They looked so lonely in the camp all by themselves so I decided to go and keep them company.' Part of the 'Black Death' group because of their fearsome reputation, they are also one of the country's 'big five' - a term coined by big-game hunters to encompass the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.

Growing up to 6ft high and 11ft long, wild African buffaloes can weigh an astonishing 3,000lbs - meaning Luke is dwarfed by his unusual four-legged friends.

Approaching the buffalo a little closer each day, Luke attempted to get the buffalo to trust him.

'I would give them food and stand a distance away so they would get used to me and my voice,' said Luke.

'I spoke to them calmly and then one day they were acting so nicely that i decided to try and touch them.

'After that our relationship got stronger and stronger.

'I went everyday and spent time with them.


The Cape buffalo is a huge bovine that belongs to one of the country's 'big five' and are believed to kill over 200 people every year


'Now I take them food and water, I wash them with a scrubbing brush which they really enjoy.

'And lie on them as the sun goes down.'

Luke's parents Marion, 52, and father Jaani, 50, shows cautious support for his unique relationship.

'I really feel for his safety - every time he goes out to them I say a little prayer,' said Marion.

'I would never stop the relationship he has with them because to see it from a distance its something extremely special.

'He has been extremely patient with them. He spends many hours with them each day.

'He has taken time to get to know them and placed his trust in them and has a special rapport with them that we don't understand.'

Despite her mother's concerns, Luke's younger sister Ruth believes he has managed to tame the buffalo.


For animal whisperer Luke, who is writing a book about his relationship with the buffalo, his relationship has been built upon a slow process of trust and communication


'Sometimes I am frightened for him but not really anymore because he has them so tame and he has worked so hard,' said 11-year-old Ruth.

'Luke understands everything about them - they really are best friends.

'He has worked really hard to get them to trust him. He will take his books over there and study next to them and he has even spent a night with them to watch their behaviour.'

Despite his confidence in his relationship with the buffalo, Luke is aware of the dangers that with daring interaction like this.

'Buffalo are one of the big five and I know they can be dangerous,' said Luke.

Luke's book focuses on his interaction with the huge animals .

'Everyday I am here I write about them in a special book that I have,' he said.

'I describe what they are doing, how they are feeling and their emotions and how I am feeling about them.

'I love them and I have a passion for what I am doing and it's given me the chance to do something that's unique.'


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The extraordinary moment hungry lions realised they had bitten off more than they could chew... when 300 buffaloes charged to save calf

By Mail Foreign Service

When buffalo attack: The three lions manage to bring down the calf - but are charged by the herd of buffalo


After tracking a herd of Cape buffalo through the scorched African bush, these three young lions finally managed to bring down a calf and were prepared to strike the killer blow.

But they had reckoned without their prey's furious relatives... all 300 of them.

These incredible pictures show how the 1,500lb buffalo charged the lions away from the calf and then tried desperately to revive it.


But with ferocious roars the lions returned, charging their massive adversaries as the calf changes hands nearly 11 times in 35 minutes.

Eventually the herd realised the calf has been killed and gave up their fight to save its life.

The incredible scenes were captured on camera by Kent Lawson, 65, who was on safari with his wife at Kings Camp in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, near Kruger National Park, South Africa.

The software entrepreneur said his party was so close to the action the lions actually used their open-topped Land Rover to hide behind when the buffalo charged.

Mr Lawson said: 'We felt that this whole thing was going on right on top of us, the lions would hide at the back of the Land Rover when they were charged, it was kind of amazing.

'It really was a sense of awe, I have been to Africa before but this was the first time I have seen anything like this. It was such a jaw-dropping experience and I was just trying to take it all in.

'One minute we were watching these lions hunting quietly and slowly and majestically and then all Hell broke loose.

'We came across this scene of incredible violence and tension and confrontation.'

Mr Lawson and other tourists had been tracking the three lions through the African bush before the action unfolded.

He said; 'These three males are well-known to the park because they are unusual in the way they cooperate so well together.

'Usually a male will try to acquire a pride and use that to hunt, but these three are working together to hunt kind of like a group of bachelors.


Desperate battle: After driving the lions away, the buffalo attempt to revive the calf by nudging it


'There were eleven changes of control of the calf and there was even a time when the lions went for another Cape buffalo.

'It was all faints back and forth between the lions and the buffalo and there was such an amazing amount of power demonstrated by both.

'It sounds bad but we believe for most of the time the calf was still alive and that's why the herd was trying to rescue it.

'At the end some very large buffalo that came up and saw the lions off before seeing the calf was dead.

'Our guide said these were the big enforcers of the herd and if they had been there at the start the calf could have been saved.

'They were frightfully large, the size of their horns is just absolutely massive, and both the lions as well as the buffalo would run right up to the Land Rover.

'Buffalo are thought to be the most dangerous animal in Africa, they kill more people than any other.

'They are pretty smart and if they feel they are being abused by the humans they will circle around and attack the humans from the rear.'

Kent, who lives in Connecticut and New York with his wife Carol said she hopes to capture the moment herself in a painting.

He said: 'She said to me at the time 'this is going to be a painting', she is an artist and has painted great scenes before from Africa of giraffes and elephants at a watering hole.

'Before the hunt these lions were so majestic in the way they were standing and then incredibly playful, gentle and affectionate with each other.'


Snatched back: The buffalo eventually abandoned the calf after realising it was dead, leaving the lions to their feast


source: dailymail

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