In Touch with Nature – Cape Buffalo or ‘Black Death’

Posted: July 22, 2026 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Wildlife, Writing to be Read |Leave a comment

I’m kicking off today’s post with my poem called Cape Buffalo or ‘Black Death’. This poem features in Story Chat Digest Where Stories Meet: An Anthology of Short Stories & Poems (Story Chat Series Book 3) compiled and edited by Marsha Ingrao. You can purchase this book from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Chat-Digest-Where-Stories-ebook/dp/B0GRKS8QDD/

Cape Buffalo or ‘Black Death’

Don’t be fooled by my mild expression

or mislead by my delightfully curious look

Know I’ve never been domesticated

due to my unpredictable temperament

I’m not a wild yak or wild water buffalo

my attitude is cantankerous and bad

nicknamed ‘Black Death’ or ‘Widow Maker’

I am dangerous and extremely aggressive

fiercely protective of my young and herd

I will charge you with surprising speed

my ferocity will horrify you. Respect me!

Weighting up to 2,000 pounds

my massive frame is supported by

sturdy and muscular legs. Boy, can I move!

I’ll charge you at 56 kilometers per hour

My horns, a hard shield called a ‘boss’

cover my entire head. I use them for defence

against my natural predators including lions,

African wild dogs, spotted hyenas, and Nile crocodiles

You are nothing – you have no teeth and no fur

I will use my horns to toss you with intention

your fall to the ground knocking the air from your lungs

effectively disabling you. Then, I will gore you

while trampling you with focused determination

If you hunt me, don’t miss.

Don’t leave me wounded.

I will deliberately and consciously

hunt you down. Lying in wait for your return

I am a dangerous adversary, and I will kill you.

My painting of a Cape buffalo inspired the above poem. I wasn’t entirely happy with the yes so I repainted them and this is the updated photograph.

Interesting facts about Cape Buffalo

Calf-feeding hack – mother buffaloes have a unique adaption that allows their young to suckle from between their hind legs. This allows the calf to feed while its mother and the rest of the herd are on the move.

Watch my YouTube video to see a Cape buffalo calf feeding from between its mother’s hind legs.

Helmet of bone – Male and female Cape buffalo have horns but older bulls develop a fused, hardened shield across their foreheads known as a “boss”. This helmet acts as a crash helmet during intense territorial fights between the males.

Watch my YouTube video to see a set of magnificent Cape buffalo horns:

The “Dagga Boys” – older male buffalo leave the main breeding herd to live alone or in small bachelor groups called dagga boys. Dagha is the Zulu and Xhosa word for mud. Older male bulls are well known for their fondness for wallowing in mud to protect themselves from the sun and biting insects.

Unmatched defense – Cape buffalo are very protective of their herds and have been known to actively mob and chase off lions to rescue injured calves or herd-mates. They were nicknamed ‘black death’ by big game hunters in Africa due to their aggressive and highly unpredictable natures when threatened or wounded. Cape buffalo have killed more hunters in African than almost any other large animal. Unlike other animals that run away when injured, wounded buffalo are known to circle back and hide in the thick, tall grass. When the hunter tracks the buffalo into the bush, it ambushes him.

I was especially pleased with the following two photographs of a male Cape buffalo taken in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The buffalo was very close to the vehicle and the winter sun was shining on his horns and coat.

About Robbie Cheadle

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

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Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil

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