Ancestry
today creates sush a wonder! Who were they? And from where did they
come? Native American Iroquois first settled there ~ building rail
transportation and the Erie Canal. French fur traders, seeing a
creek, called it 'Beau
Fleuve' (a Beautiful River)
that flowed nearby. It's also possible 'twas the' American Bison'
whose range extended into this region. Today it's a city, close to
Niagara.
Traditionally, Buffalo meat, was prized
as
an essential part of Native American diet.
American
Bison today live in both our Americas and in Europe
while the other two species dwell in Africa and Asia.
The European Bison ~ a Eurasian species
is the largest land mammal of continental Europe.
Its population, dramatically low, in past decades
(mainly
due to human predation) was declared as endangered
but
with gradual population ~ vulnerable
is
now the status.
My name is Buff ~ as a boy, was nicknamed by Ma.
Every Sunday, church we attended ~ all dressed up.
My always-Saturday-job: collect Sunday family shoes ~
clean and buff them to a shiny shine.
Ma always said, “ Tis not enuff to clean, clean, clean,
you must buff, buff, buff ~ and thus my name today!
Animals I loved and became a care-giver.
My wife and I, we have a wellness centre
where we cure injured animals ~ and birds with broken wings.
And
Alo,
our little girl is learning easy tasks.
These
herbivore,
the
European
Bison,
have thick-set bodies
with pronounced shoulder hump and short neck.
They have a dense coat ~ dark to golden brown.
The mane is long, forehead distributed and underneath the neck.
Both sexes have horns, projecting out, then curving upwards.
Encompassing almost entire Europe, their range includes
Southern England and parts of Russia.
In middle ages, almost eradicated, they were hunted for hide
and to make 'drinking horns.'
Since 1989, 24 herds of those bisons have been introduced to the
wild.
inhabiting
deciduous and mixed forests with open grasslands and vegetation.
In this environment, they live 14 to 16 years.
In captivity, males live to maybe 20 and females to possibly 28 ~
livng
in Wildlife sanctuaries and National Parks in Europe.
.
Being polygamous, males join the female herds to compete for the
mating.
Gestation period is 264 days, the female birthing one calf at a time.
These European Bison have no natural predators...possibly a bear or
wolf.
Estimation states that presently, there are about 3200 European
Bisons left.
Comparison: African Buffalo throughout the African continent
and
Water Buffalo in Asian countries
The Cape Buffalo of Africa are dark grey or black, looking a lot like
bulls.
The Water Buffalo is the largest bovine, being 8 to 9 feet from head
to rump with its tail adding an extra 2 to 2.3 feet. They weigh a
massive 1,,500 to 2,650 pounds
The African Buffalo is smaller: 4.26 to 4.92 feet long from head to
hoof
and weigh 910 to 935 pounds.
Water Buffalo live in tropical and sub-tropical forests of Asia
spending most of their time in the water. Their weak hooves prevent
sinking into mud at the bottom of the ponds, swamps and rivers.
The African Buffalo live in grasslands, savannas, swamps, lowland
plains,
mixed forests and glades. Instead of taking a swim, they lie under
trees
to cool while they nap. At night, they graze in the cool air.
Water Buffalo feed on aquatic plants while Cape Buffaloes, being
herbivores, eat only vegetation ~ their favourite food being grass
and herbs. Both eat shrubs and trees.
The African Buffaloes (Cape) live around 26 years;
and the Water Buffalo in years, about 25.in years
(according to University of Michigan studies)
The
Wild Water Buffalo are endangered
(according to the International University for Conservation of
Nature). They have a population of less than 4,000. The African
Buffalo is not
endangered
and has a population of 900,000 (according to African Wildlife
Foundation).
The male Water Buffaloes have horns that curve backwards, growing to
5 feet.
The
African Buffalo have a democracy:
When
ready to travel, they will stand and turn in the direction they want
to go. The 'majority votes' wins ~ the head female will lead the
herd in the winning direction.
The African Buffalo (Cape) are very aggressive
and have a tendency to attack humans.
Very protective of each other, they care for the sick and old members
of the herd
to shield them from predators.
Animals
Most Tourists Look Forward to Seeing on an African Safari
are
The Big Five!
Rhinoceros, African Leopard, Cape Buffalo, African Lion and African
Elephant.
The Cape Buffalo: One of the deadliest animals
you can encounter on a safari!!!
They have earned for themselves nicknames:
Black
Death and
Widow
Maker!
They are known to stalk, attack and kill 'trophy hunters'
who have hurt them in the past ~
and have been observed to track down and kill entire hunting parties.
“An
Elephant never forgets ~ but a Buffalo never forgives”
It was a sad day when my loving wife died from deadly virus.
Alo.
My
10-year old daughter ~
she's assisted me in care of sick calves,
thorns in lions' paws, animal bee stings and injured birds
as
they arrive at Buff
and Alo's Rescue Reserve.
Composed by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 25, 2018
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