Hybrid Buffalo?

[PlainJane]

Greetings All!
This picture is a screen capture from that live safari project I always post about. I thought this buffalo looked almost Asian. This is from Sabi Sands, SA about a month ago. Any thoughts?

 

[Bsums]

It has the color of Afrikaner or N'Dama cattle. To me it doesn't look much like an Asian buffalo as the asian buffalo has a dark color similar to Cape Buffalo and the horns are angled back more without the curl like the cape buffalo. If it was a mix of the two I don't think it would give the orange color. I wonder if cattle and cape buffalo could successfully interbreed?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I've seen pics of horns on cow Cape Buff's that were extraordinary, so the horns on this one don't surprise me too much. The brown color though has me puzzled. Big bellied cow, perhaps pregnant? Could pregnancy cause the hair to change color? I don't know, but I did know a female Labrador Retriever who would go completely bald when she was carrying a litter, strangest thing I've ever seen.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

. I wonder if cattle and cape buffalo could successfully interbreed?

I was wondering the same thing; American bison were bred to create the "beefalo", a hybrid that was considered because it was able to use poorer grazing areas......however, IIRC, they were sterile, so either this is something different or it's just fat! It does not look like an asian water buff to me; as Bsums stated, the horns on the asian buffs curl back more sharply. I'm thinking either this is a hybrid cow/buff, or a genetic mutation that gives it a reddish coat (we see that from time to time here......I got a squirrel running around in the neighborhood that looks "golden"; usually they are a reddish orange color, but this one almost looks like someone hit him with a can of spray paint!!)

 

[Red Leg]

Horns like that aren't that unusual. Suspect the color is just an issue with the late afternoon or early morning sun. Note the long shadows.

 

[siml]

Buffalo and domestic cattle can't inter breed.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Horns like that aren't that unusual. Suspect the color is just an issue with the late afternoon or early morning sun. Note the long shadows.

I think the same as Red Leg.
Witold

 

[Ryno Botma]

Just hope the "big shot " game breeders don't see this they will probably classify this as the ( south east golden buffalo ) and would put a
heavyweight pricetag on it

Kind regards
Ryno

 

[joester]

Note the buff on right side of photo with horns curling up and back - also unusual...

 

[Jono Joseph]

looks like a wide cow...how is the scrum cap on the animal next door it also looks like a cow.
Beauty and the beast...

Shot Shot

 

[PlainJane]

Horns like that aren't that unusual. Suspect the color is just an issue with the late afternoon or early morning sun. Note the long shadows.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking too but I took this pic from a live feed and as the cow moved, she still looked the same. Anyway, probably the light for sure. Thanks!!!

 

[PlainJane]

Thanks for the input all!!!! There's some amazing oddities on this drive sometimes. Always like to share with you..

 

[siml]

Gi, that is sure a mixed bag of buff, talking horn variations.

 

[ChrisT]

looks like a wide cow...how is the scrum cap on the animal next door it also looks like a cow.
Beauty and the beast...

Shot Shot

They're both cows (that's if we're talking about the same two buffalo - which I suspect we do...)

If the sun hits them right - buffalo (especially younger ones and females) can appear to be red in colour. I suspect this is what happened in this photograph (angle of the camera vs angle of the sun).

No disrespect, but just as a matter of interest - the term "scrum cap" is usually reserved for old dagha boys with tips worn right down... Something like this:

Females with broken/worn horns are not normally referred to as "scrum caps" but it of course your prerogative to use whichever terminology you prefer.

 

[Jono Joseph]

I am sure a scrum cap can be perceived in many ways bulls or cows.
If you take it literally which i am sure was how the term was composed would be the scrum cap from rugby they have the same look a very close fit.
At least that is how i understand it about bulls and cows not sure?
Is this where it comes from ?


Shot Shot

 

[Patrick R]

I am NO Zambian, but they all seem like cow's...or bulls...don't know...all buffalo...

 

[siml]

@PHSC_Jono , yes the term comes from rugby, scrum cap. You also correct the scrum cap is a female, you can see the female look to her face, but no boss is the give away.

 

[WildRose]

The horns are not that unusual and red is just the product of a broken black color gene. It's the same way we get red Angus cattle.