Spend a little time around safari chatter and you’ll hear people use the words African buffalo and Cape buffalo like they mean the same thing. It’s an easy mix-up – after all, they look pretty similar, they’re both part of Africa’s famous Big Five, and they both have that same “don’t mess with me” stare. But there is a difference. Let’s start with the basics. The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is the umbrella species – the big picture term. Within that species, there are a