Buffaloes are highly unpredictable and in turn, very dangerous to humans. They have not been domesticated unlike its Asian counterpart, the domestic Asian water buffalo.

Savannah buffaloes can weigh up to 900 kilograms and are a very robust species, they are large too being up to 1.7 metres high and 3.4 metres long. Forest buffaloes are smaller and may weigh only half of what the savannah buffaloes do.

Savannah buffaloes are black or dark brown and have very curved horns, similar to a closed crescent. Forest buffaloes have a reddish brown colour with horns that curve out backwards and up. Though calves of both types of buffalo are red.

The African buffalo is a very successful grazer, owing to it having very few predators. Other than humans they are capable of defending themselves from, and something even killing, lions. Lions are capable of killing buffalo but it typically takes multiple lions to kill a single buffalo. The nile crocodile only aim to kill old, solitary buffalo and young calves. Cheetahs, leopards and spotted hyenas are only a threat to calves.

Buffalo can be found in high mountainous terrain or at sea level areas. They prefer to live in dense cover such as trees, reeds and thickets. Once they have depleted or trampled their supply of grass they will move onto a new area to graze on.