A characteristic feature of the horns of adult male African buffalo is that the bases come very close together, forming a shield referred to as a “boss”. From the base, the horns diverge downwards, then smoothly curve upwards and outwards and in some cases inwards and or backwards. In large bulls, the distance between the ends of the horns can reach upwards of one meter (the record is 164 cm). The horns form fully when the animal reaches the age of five or six years but the bosses do not become “hard” till 8 to 9 years old.
