The BUFFALOES have the horns flattened and triangular in section,
inclined outwards and backwards, turning up at the tips. The Common
Buffalo is found in Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Indian
region. The huge Indian variety, with most lengthy horns, is also known
as the Arni. Its horns are elongated and narrow, sometimes reaching
six feet and a half in length. It stands nearly or quite six feet
at the shoulder, its proportions are bulky, and its general colour
dusky-black. It lives in small herds numbering not more than twenty,
and solitary bulls are often met with which attack sportsmen in a
most vicious manner without provocation. The Cape Buffalo has shorter
horns, expanded at their bases, so that they almost meet in the middle
line of the forehead. It is found all over Central and South Africa,
and is a formidable animal when wounded, as, quite regardless of the
cloud of smoke which follows the shot aimed at it, it charges right
through it, and so does frequent injury to the experienced hunter.
Its general colour is blue-black, but in some cases it has a reddish
tinge. The Hon. W. H. Drummond gives the following account of a fight
between two bulls of which he was an eye-witness. After having had
his attention attracted by a loud clattering noise, he remarks that,
“on looking through the edge of the last thicket which had concealed
them, I saw two Buffalo bulls standing facing each other with lowered
heads, and, as I sat down to watch, they rushed together with all their
force, producing the loud crash I had before heard. Once the horns were
interlocked they kept them so, their straining quarters telling that
each was doing his best to force the other backwards. Several long
white marks on their necks showed where they had received scratches,
and blood dripping over the withers of the one next me proved that he
had received a more severe wound. It was a magnificent sight to see
the enormous animals, every muscle at its fullest tension, striving
for the mastery. Soon one, a very large and old bull, began to yield
a little, going backwards step by step; but at last, as if determined
to conquer or die, it dropped on to its knees. The other, disengaging
its horns for a second, so as to give an impetus, again rushed at him,
but, whether purposely or not I could not tell, it did not strike him
on the forehead, but on the neck, under the hump, and I could see that
with a twist of his horns he inflicted a severe wound. However, instead
of following up his seeming advantage, he at once recoiled, and stood
half facing his antagonist, who, getting on his legs again, remained
in the same position for several minutes, and then with a low grunt of
rage, rushed at him. This time he was not met, and his broad forehead
struck full on his rival’s shoulder, almost knocking it over. The
old bull then went a few yards off and stood watching the other for
fully a quarter of an hour, when he walked slowly away in the opposite
direction.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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