The forest buffalo are smaller and red unlike the black of the cape buffalo. Forest buffalo inhabit the forests of west and central Africa up to Lake Edward in Uganda. The forest buffalo can weigh between 265kg and 565kg. On their eastern range cape buffalo and forest buffalo populations overlap and hybridisation is common. Many wild herds contain animals of red through black. The horns of the forest buffalo are swept backwards as an adaptation to forest life. Horns that were swept forwards or upwards could snag on branches and hinder escape from predators. Females have their first calf at around 4 or 5 years of age and would then have a calf every two years. Calves may suckle for as much as a year and are very dependant on their mothers during this time. Female calves will usually stay with the herd but male calves will leave the herd at around 4 years of age. Like the cape buffalo, forest buffalo are very protective of their young. The forest buffalo is listed as conservation dependant and outside of national parks is commonly hunted for it's meat and horns. Natural predators of the forest buffalo include the leopard.

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