Buffaloes terrorise communities
26/03/2009 16:36 - (SA)


Oris Mnisi & Vinni Dlamini

Bushbuckridge - Johnson Khoza couldn't believe his eyes when he went to tend to his cows and discovered two fully-grown male buffaloes calmly grazing amongst the herd.

He did what anyone would do in his situation - he turned around and ran back to his village of Utah near Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga.

Khoza is just one of many residents of villages that border national parks that frequently come across wild animals that cross into residential areas.

Local Community Policing Forum (CPF) member, Albert Sihlangu said that he too ran for his life when he saw buffaloes on his way to a nearby village.

"I was going to work in the morning when I spotted them grazing along the fence next to the road," said Sihlangu.

Sihlangu said that he tried to call rangers at the Kruger National Park (KNP) to come and help, but claims his calls were ignored.

He said residents are now "sick and tired" of animals straying into their villages. Apart from eating valuable grazing, he said the buffalo also carry diseases like foot and mouth which are transmitted to their cattle.

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) senior ranger, Victor Khoza, said residents should not contact KNP rangers when they encounter wild animals in their villages. He said they should rather contact the MTPA, who will deal with the animals according to the danger they pose.

Khoza assured residents that problem buffaloes would be hunted and killed.

Very dangerous

According to Raymond Travers, spokesperson for the Kruger National Park, buffaloes can be very dangerous when they feel threatened or vulnerable.

"When they are injured or alone, that's when they can get pretty dangerous. This is especially true for the older buffaloes," said Travers.

Buffaloes are considered to be the most dangerous of the big five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino).

Large herds of buffalo are generally not aggressive, compared to a buffalo on its own, which can be extremely unpredictable.

Lone bulls out of a group are quick to charge when threatened and are very difficult to stop. A male buffalo can weigh up to a ton, while female buffaloes tip the scales at 700kg.

Many hunters have been attacked by buffaloes, even after firing warning shots.

Buffalo herds can be as big as 1 500 individuals and they stay on the move looking for grazing and water, which often brings them into contact with people. Buffaloes have weak immune systems which makes them susceptible to diseases such as foot and mouth disease.

The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency rangers can be contacted on 013 759 5300.

- African Eye

Well here in the states we have lots of dangerous animal charges too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...rter_rabbit_incident



Chuck