African buffalo: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the African buffalo lives – recorded in 15 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Syncerus caffer
Group	Antelopes, wild cattle, sheep & goats
Status	Near threatened (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	15 countries
Continents	Africa
Class	Mammal
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Bovidae

Where does the African buffalo live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the African buffalo in 15 countries and territories across Africa.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the African buffalo endangered?

The African buffalo’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Near threatened” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the African buffalo?

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a mammal in the order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae, genus Syncerus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the African buffalo

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large bovine native to sub-Saharan Africa. First described in 1779 by Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman, it is the only extant species of the genus Syncerus. Four subspecies are currently recognized: the Cape buffalo, West African savanna buffalo, Central African savanna buffalo, and African forest buffalo. It is a heavily built animal with a broad head and torso, a strong neck, large horns, and a bony plate or "boss" between the horns of males. The fur ranges in color from rusty to black, and the tail ends with a dark, hairy tuft.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article African buffalo (revision 1381483543), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q160042 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).