African buffalo, the most dangerous animal in East Africa. The Masai people will fight off lion and leopard with their sticks, but if they come across a buffalo, they will keep a safe distance or change direction to avoid them.
It is commonly known that a lone bull can be seen charging and attacking a tree for no apparent reason. This is said to be a way of releasing frustration for being excluded from the herd it was accustomed to by a younger bull. This unprovoked attacking helps earn the buffalo its aggressive reputation.
From the security of an underground viewing bunker, I was able to photograph buffalo from up close, without becoming a threat to the buffalo or putting myself in danger. Several Buffalo came within inches of my lens, the hot steamy breath they exhaled as they grazed on the fresh grass at the edge of the bunker, could be felt passing over my hands that were wrapped around my camera. If I dared I could have reached out and touched them.
Aware of my presence, the females of the herd continued to graze around the bunker with grace, not phased by my movements, quite literally under their noses. When a bull came close and I positioned myself for a shot, immediately I had eye contact with him. In his eyes you could see him calculating was I a risk, should he charge me.
Looking back on this moment, I do wonder how close was I to being charged, what was the deciding factor for him not to attack.