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Even though the buffalo is an introduced species and is often the subject of eradication efforts by the government, the “blackfellows” (as Aboriginals call themselves) have embraced the buffalo and made it part of their culture. He told me of the “Buffalo Dreaming” and the story of how the white buffalo led the herd into their part of northern Australia for the benefit of his people.

“The buffalo came over the Blue Mountains through Mangurra to Marrklawa. They call him Bredalla,” Henry said. “Now the white buffalo is ceremony.” Ceremonies have been part of Aboriginal culture since it began 40,000 years ago; to have included the buffalo illustrates how they can adapt to change with their always-evolving culture.

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The history of the buffalo in Australia is a bit convoluted, I suspect due to politics. According to the Internet, the Australian government states: “Water buffalo were imported to Australia in the 19th century to supply meat to remote northern settlements. The settlements and their buffalo were abandoned in 1949 and, despite harvesting for meat, hides and as hunters’ trophies, feral buffalo spread across the northern floodplains.”

I understood that to mean the buffalo were not wild until after 1949.

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The settlers and convicts soon found that the natives were anything but friendly. Apart from the problems with the Tiwi Aborigines there were the white ants and the occasional cyclone which made life rather difficult. The soil was good but there were no animals to do the heavy work. Water buffalo were imported from Timor and they became the nucleus of the herd which was later transferred to the Cobourg Peninsula.

In 1827 Major John Campbell arrived to take command but relations with the Aborigines deteriorated all the time. Dr John Gold and storekeeper John Green were speared to death. The fort was abandoned in 1828 and by February 1829 the Tiwi Aborigines were once again in control of their land.

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In 1846 Father Angelo Confalonieri became the first Catholic priest to come to the Northern Territory to establish the Church at Victoria. He died two years later without having been able to carry out his objectives. Victoria, and Fort Essington with it, was abandoned on 1 December 1849.

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the “blackfellows” (as Aboriginals call themselves)

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No, it is "blackfellas". Like you be "whitefella"!

I don't regard either water buffalo or cape buffalo as particularly dangerous, unless wounded. Doesn't stop either from getting "aggro". I have shot 19 water buffalo, and a grande whole ONE cape buffalo. Been among cape buffalo several times and trips, one other hunt for them, where I just shot elephant instead, and never got onto the cape buffalo. Some scrub bulls and a banteng.

Now its funny when I think about, the first and the last water buffalo had issues. The first ever water buffalo I did not shoot, but we did get out of his way. He was aggro, and brought down a tree with his horn. A gnarly old broomed off bull. Not a charge, he was standing staring at us at a few metres, at Matt Graham and I. Never really wrote this before but Matt's borrowed rifle from Bob Penfold, had jammed, so I covered the bull while he tried to clear the rifle. The bull advanced, we retreated, happened several times. Before we backed out and away. I regretted not shooting that old, he would have looked good on the wall. But did get a find big beast a couple of days later.

And my last bull did try to kill me. Wrote about that elsewhere. As I had wounded him. First bull that I shot that had got away and run off. All the others, most shot more than once, never got far. The big rifles do that. And that is when these beasts get dangerous, when they are wounded, and you have to follow them up, and especially if it is in thicker bush. The exception is the rule, so any big beast is dangerous. Scrub bulls charge IMO far more than any buffalo. But are perhaps easier to put down.

As for the cape bersus water buffalo debate. I haven't shot enough of either. But some Africans say the water buffalo is harder to kill. The cape is more dangerous they say.

BTW Aussies like to downplay any danger - "Sure mate, no problem, your .22 is easily enuff!" And Boers like to brag, "Toes cap biffalo will kell you man! Nine times outta ten, youll be dead! Then dunt come complainin to me!"



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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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the “blackfellows” (as Aboriginals call themselves) have embraced the buffalo and made it part of their culture. He told me of the “Buffalo Dreaming” and the story of how the white buffalo led the herd into their part of northern Australia for the benefit of his people.

“Now the white buffalo is ceremony.” Ceremonies have been part of Aboriginal culture since it began 40,000 years ago; to have included the buffalo illustrates how they can adapt to change with their always-evolving culture.

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Very interesting.

To many of the 'American Indians' (so called because Columbus was lost), particularly the Sioux and other nations of the Great Plains, the 'white buffalo' has long been held sacred as well.

White Buffalo

These, of course, aren't 'buffalo' at all - they are American Bison.

Smithsonian Bison


'Bison Nickel'
This fella's not a buffalo, he's a Bison
(Black Diamond, an American Bison that resided at the New York Zoo).


'Buffalo' (American Bison) skulls awaiting shipment to Eastern factories, ca. 1870s.

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Citizen of the Cherokee Nation

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the african buffalo is more agressive because the permanent presence of big cats makes him nervous. the australian water buffalo on the other side have nothing that disturp his life style so he is very relaxed.
put some bengal tiger in this area and the constant threat will change his temper to the point he think its better to attack any sign of danger.

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If that’s not enough, another local man was nearly killed by a wild ox he had wounded with an insufficient rifle cartridge around the same time. He too was saved by the quick and heroic actions of his hunting companion.

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I have only hunted Australian buffalo once, but I have hunted Cape buffalo multiple times. If I had based my opinions on the first three Cape buffalo I shot, I would have said they were not dangerous and were easy to kill. Then I ran into No. 4, and that changed my opinion.

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I agree 100% with that. 19 water buffalo and the last certainly changed my opinion. Made me even question my bovine and elephant slayer, my .450 NE Jeffery double rifle!

But Curl and I hunted since then, and my doubts had faded into the ether. Though we never ended up scoring on the very elusive and wary buffalo that trip. They have been very hard hunted in the years between trips, and were extremely wary in the cattle station country we hunted. And most of all, not enough days in country, as the property owner messed us around a bit. A day or two extra and IMO not a problem. Hell we found cow buffalo a short walk away from camp, the last evening, no need to drive lots of kms.

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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