One problem you run into with an animal like the cape buffalo is the fact you never know whats happened to him in the recent past. I have heard and read accounts of buffalo attacking people, and it's been discovered that they sustained some sort of injury previously. Capstick tells a story of buffalo and elephant being shot with cast iron potjie cook pot legs from muzzleloaders. I imagine a lot are wounded with spears or arrows, or injured by lions. Probably some are victims of wire snares. You let that buffalo fester and suffer for a time and I'm sure they will be more that happy to punch your ticket. There are always individual animals that just plain have bad personalty issues too.