Conservation Status of the African Buffalo: A Continent-Wide Assessment

A continent-wide assessment reveals that the African buffalo population remains stable at over 564,000 individuals, with significant subspecies imbalances. The Cape buffalo dominates, accounting for 90% of the total, while Central African savanna buffalo populations have declined by nearly half in 25 years, except in Zakouma NP (Chad) and Garamba NP (DRC). Forest buffalo populations are challenging to estimate but persist in low-density human areas, notably within the Greater TRIDOM/TNS block—a 250,000 km² pristine forest spanning Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, and Central African Republic. The study analyzed data from 163 protected areas and 711 localities across 38 countries, combining aerial and ground censuses with expert feedback to assess trends between 2001–2021.

Cornelis, D., Renaud, P. C., Melletti, M., Fonteyn, D., Bonhotal, H., Hauptfleisch, M., Asefa, A., Breuer, T., Korte, L., Scholte, P., Elkan, P., Kohi, E., Mwiu, S., Ngene, S., Omondi, P., Tadjo, S. P., Prin, T., Caron, A., Prins, H. H. T., & Chardonnet, P. (2023). Conservation Status of the African Buffalo: A Continent-Wide Assessment. Ecology and Management of the African Buffalo, 66–128. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009006828.007