Water Buffalo mating in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

“The water buffalo is known as the living tractor of the East.”

The water buffalo, also known as the Asian buffalo, Asiatic water buffalo, or arni, is the second largest member of the bovid family, and it is closely related to yak, bison, African buffalo, ox, and various other forms of wild cattle.

Its great strength and high-fat content milk have led to its domestication throughout the world, and this, in combination with ritual hunting, has sadly caused the wild water buffalo to become endangered.

Wildlife preserves in Southeast Asia are the last refuge for wild herds, and the population is believed to be in decline.

Incredible Water Buffalo Facts!

While the domestic water buffalo is an extremely common animal, its wild ancestor is endangered with an estimated population of less than 4,000, only 2,500 of which are adults.
The two major subspecies of these buffalos were actually domesticated for different reasons; river water buffalo were domesticated for their milk, and the swamp water buffalo was domesticated as a draft animal for its strength.
The largest recorded horn length of a wild water buffalo is 13 feet and 10 inches, longer than a Volkswagen Beetle!
These buffalos spend almost the entire day submerged in water up to their nostrils or wallowing in the mud like a pig.
The arni’s fetlock, a joint just above the ankle, is extremely flexible; this unique adaptation allows the arni to freely move about in the thick, deep mud of river and swamp bottoms.