In this work, Shakckleton has chosen to capture three native African species – the Cape buffalo , the Western Cattle Egret (on the buffalo’s back) and the Yellow-billed Oxpecker (on and around the buffalo’s face).

Both the Western Cattle Egret and the Yellow-billed Oxpecker share an important relationship with the Cape buffalo, and is therefore not uncommon to see them together. To the buffalo, ticks are a nuisance and pose health risks. The Oxpeckers feed on the parasites found on the buffalo’s skin and in its fur. This helps the buffalo by reducing the parasite load while providing an available source of food to the bird. The birds also serve as an early warning system for the buffalo herd. Their sharp eyes and keen senses can detect approaching danger, and they emit warning calls to alert the buffalo to potential threats. 

The Western Cattle Egret often spends time close to livestock, such as buffalo, as they catch insects and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. In return, the Egret also removes ticks and flies from the buffalo and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

The Cape buffalo is the largest subspecies of the African buffalo and is found in Southern and East Africa (it is the only member of the buffalo and cattle tribe that occurs naturally in Africa.) The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases that form a continuous bone shield across the top of the head which is referred to as a "boss”. Although not very tall—it stands only 130–150 cm (51–59 inches) and has relatively short legs—the Cape buffalo is extremely heavy, weighing 425–870 kg (935–1,910 pounds).