BUFFALO

The African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large African bovine. It is a very robust animal, with a very long and stocky body. Savannah-type buffaloes have black or dark brown coats with age, Old bulls have whitish circles around their eyes and Females tend to have more of a reddish coats.The Cape buffalo is susceptible to many diseases, including foot and mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis. Adult males spar often, whether in play or an actual fight. Calves spar a bit while the females never spar at all. Buffalo are considered extremely dangerous, goring and killing over 200 people every year.

Additional information

Mount Type

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Facts

• The animal can weigh as much as 2,700 pounds.
• Contrary to popular belief the African buffalo is not the ancestor of domestic Cattle.
• ‘’The Black Death” or “widowmaker” are its nicknames as the buffalo is very dangerous

Taxidermy

Thorough preparation is the key factor to ensuring a high-quality final product. All hides are tanned and oiled using the world’s very best available chemicals and processes to ensure permanence and longevity.Forms are selected to ensure the best fit and posture will be altered to suit you, the client’s preference without additional cost. Natural habitat bases are custom-made for full mount trophies without additional cost.Only the finest materials and 40 years of professional experience are used in defining your trophies in a whole new way. The final trophies are almost Life-Formed. When the restoration is required, every effort is made to repair cuts and abrasions, and to minimise bullet damage. Natural scarring is kept unless otherwise requested.

Habitat

The African buffalo is one of the most successful grazers in Africa. It lives in swamps and floodplains, as well as mopane grasslands and forests of the major mountains of Africa. They require water daily and so need to be near watering holes or rivers. Buffaloes do not stay on trampled or depleted areas for long. They don’t have many predators and are capable of protecting themselves against most other animals.

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Professional Buffalo Taxidermy in South Africa

The African buffalo is a highly coveted trophy that is categorised as one of the seven dangerous game which can be hunted in the region. As such, those who have hunted one of these powerful animals would want to honour and preserve the memory for years to come. The best means of doing so is by having your trophy mounted as a beautiful piece of taxidermy.

 

What is Buffalo taxidermy?

The process of preparing, filling, and mounting Buffalo skins is known as buffalo taxidermy. There are various types of artists, and taxidermy is one of them. Taxidermists spend years learning their trade and must have the same level of focus and precision as a surgeon.

Expert taxidermists may create works that are profoundly realistic, and the taxidermied buffalo trophies can be found at a variety of surprising locations.

You may find taxidermy everywhere from five-star game lodges to the homes of blue collar sportsmen, publicly displayed collections of private collectors to the fascinatingly large-scale displays in the world’s most prestigious museums.

Taxidermy is also used as a form of expression that allows hunters to honour the Buffalo they kill while also aiding scientists in documenting the natural environment.

 

Preparation & Packaging tips for a flawless Buffalo trophy

You don’t need to be a crack shot or have the latest and greatest large magnum in your hands to earn the reputation of being a safe, successful hunter when it comes to buffalo; what you do need is discipline.

The key is knowing when and where to fire your shots. Buffalos can be put down quickly and humanely, and the trophy well-preserved, if shots are directed at one of three main target zones: the thoracic, cervical, and cerebral lobes.

If the target is a large animal like buffalo that is leaning away from the hunter, the chest shot will only be successful with a very powerful calibre that can break through the animal’s thick hide and muscle to reach the heart.

If the gun you’re carrying isn’t up to the task, your only options are to wait for a headshot. That said, buffalo is classified as a dangerous game species to be hunted and most hunting lodges and outfitters will not allow one to hunt buffalo with anything smaller than .375 calibre rifle.

Following a successful hunt, the carcass must be handled with care. You must take care not to damage the trophy in any way, especially its skin and muscle.

Taxidermists have a few tools at their disposal to repair damage caused by entry and exit wounds, but they are limited to the materials that have previously been preserved.

When removing the skin, take care to avoid snagging it essential while gutting a buffalo or any other large creature. You can damage your entire mount if you don’t know how to cape out a buffalo properly.

To avoid other unnecessary damage, never drag or transport the buffalo by its face, horns, neck, or feet. If you accidently tear the carcass, the taxidermist won’t be able to replicate your trophy properly. Take extra precautions to protect your prize.

Never cut a skull in order to remove or preserve the horns, as this could leave the taxidermist with insufficient bone. All necessary trimming will be done in the taxidermy studio.

 

The Buffalo taxidermist’s process and method

Having a high-quality end result is dependent on meticulous planning when creating a buffalo mount. The finest chemicals and procedures available are used to tan and oil the skins, guaranteeing their durability and longevity for years to come.

Your preferred form will be chosen after careful consideration of your measurements, and your buffalo’s posture will be adjusted at no extra charge. Full-mount buffalo trophies come with natural habitat bases built especially for the specific buffalo mount.

Using only the highest-quality materials and drawing on more than four decades of industry experience, the taxidermy process at Life-Form gives new meaning to your prized buffalo trophy.

Every effort is made to patch cuts and abrasions and lessen bullet damage when restoration is necessary. Existing scars are preserved unless the client expresses a desire to have them removed.

 

Taking care of your Buffalo trophy

It is very important to take extra care of your prized Buffalo trophy to ensure that it remains in perfect condition for years to come, using the helpful tips below.

  • You should never, ever hang your buffalo mount above a fire source such as a fireplace, wood stove, or radiator. For a mount, nothing is more dangerous than dry heat, as it causes the fur of a mounted animal to dry and break, making the animal look older than it is.
  • Trophies on display need to be dusted on a regular basis. Clean, soft cloths, vacuums with a soft brush attachment, or air blown from a can or air compressor can be used to dust mounted Buffalo heads while following the hair’s natural growth pattern.
  • A modest amount of cleaner applied to a Q-tip or flat Artist’s Brush and delicately wiped over the glass eyes will restore their clarity and shine.
  • To avoid getting the lower eyelashes moist, be mindful of how much cleaner you put on the brush. Any final fleshy portions, such as the eyelids, should be kept free of cleaners.
  • Wildebeest and Cape Buffalo horns are highly prized. You can use the dust brush attachment on your vacuum to clean them.
  • Once you’ve gotten rid of the bulk of the dust, use a nylon cleaning brush, like the kind you’d find at a hardware shop or a home improvement centre, to go over the horns, paying specific attention to the boss areas and the higher, “ragged” portions of the horns.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Buffalo taxidermy cost?

An individualised quote can be requested directly through the website.

 

How long does Buffalo taxidermy take?

Depending on the buffalo trophy, the typical duration ranges from eight to twelve from receipt of deposit & mounting instructions. When done properly, a taxidermy trophy will last a lifetime and look as good as the day it was made, thanks to the meticulous, multi-step procedure that goes into creating each piece.

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