Water Buffalo

Quick Take

• Wild water buffalo horns can grow longer than a Volkswagen Beetle, and the record measurement reveals something even more jaw-dropping about the animal's size. See the horn dimensions →
• Domestication saved the species from extinction, yet it may also be the very thing driving wild water buffalo toward it. Explore interbreeding threats →
• These buffalo spend almost the entire day submerged in water, and it's not for the reason most people assume. Discover their thermoregulation →
• A 5,000-year-old civilization domesticated the water buffalo, though the two subspecies were tamed for completely different purposes. Trace their domestication history →

The water buffalo, also known as the Asian buffalo, Asiatic water buffalo, or arni, is one of the largest members of the bovid family, and it is closely related to the 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, combined 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 their 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 buffaloes were actually domesticated for different reasons; river water buffalo were domesticated for their milk, and the swamp water buffalo were 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 buffaloes 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.

Evolution and Origins

Water buffaloes, or Bubalus bubalis, are large domesticated mammals belonging to the Bovidae family. They are widely distributed throughout the world, particularly in Asia and Africa, and are known for their milk, meat, and labor. While water buffaloes are now a common sight in many parts of the world, their evolution and origins remain an area of much interest and study.

The most probable ancestor of the water buffalo is the wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), a large bovine that gave rise to domestic populations over thousands of years. Domestic water buffalo have since diverged into two distinct types: the Swamp buffalo, which is found in Southeast Asia, and the River buffalo, which is found in South Asia.

The Swamp buffalo is thought to have originated in the region of the Brahmaputra River in present-day Bangladesh and eastern India. From there, it spread across Southeast Asia, where it became an important animal for agriculture and transportation. The River buffalo, on the other hand, is believed to have originated in the region of the Ganges River in northern India. It was later introduced to other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

The domestication of the water buffalo is believed to have started more than 5,000 years ago in the Indus Valley civilization, which spanned parts of present-day Pakistan and India. Archaeological evidence, such as terracotta figurines and seal impressions, suggests that water buffaloes were an important part of the agricultural system of the Indus Valley people. They were used for plowing fields, pulling carts, and as a source of milk and meat.

Classification and Scientific Name

These buffaloes are closely related to yak, bison, African buffalo, and several other types of wild bovid. They are classified in the order Artiodactyla and family Bovidae.

The scientific name for the domestic water buffalo is Bubalus bubalis, and the scientific name of their wild counterpart is Bubalus arnee.

There are two subspecies within these buffaloes, river and swamp, which have both been domesticated for different reasons. The Asiatic water buffalo is a close cousin of the African Cape buffalo. The term Bubalus is simply Latin for wild ox or antelope.

Appearance and Behavior

The wild arni is a gigantic animal. It is typically 8 to 9 feet long and stands around 5 to 6 feet at the shoulder. They are primarily dark gray or black in color and have massive backward-curving horns. Males are larger, typically weighing in at around 2,600 pounds, with full-sized horns, while females have proportionately smaller horns. The males weigh about the same as two-and-a-half grizzly bears.

The average length of a male’s horns is approximately five feet, but the longest recorded horn length is a staggering 13 feet 10 inches. In comparison, a Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1) is only about 13 feet and 4.5 inches.

The domestic buffalo can range anywhere from just under 1,000 pounds upwards to 2,000 pounds. Coloration remains primarily the same, but horn shape and size can vary significantly across some of the 74 different breeds of these domesticated buffalo.

These buffalo spend most of the day submerged, sometimes up to their nostrils, in the water of rivers or swamps. This serves two major purposes. First, these buffalo do not possess adequate sweat glands to keep themselves cool through sweat evaporation, so remaining submerged allows them to regulate their temperature in the hot, humid Southeast Asian climate.

Secondly, the water protects the buffalo from all manner of biting insects that also inhabit the jungle. To help provide extra insect protection, water buffalo use their horns to dig up bottom mud from the river or swamp and throw it onto themselves in a process called wallowing.

These buffalo generally travel in groups called a herd. The herd consists of around five to eight adult females, called cows, and their respective calves. The herd may or may not have a male, or bull, accompanying them.

Young bulls travel in all-male groups of similar age called bachelor herds, but older bulls will travel alone. Herds of 30 to 40 buffalo are not uncommon, but it is difficult to differentiate between domestic, feral, and wild water buffalo because of free-range farming common in the region.

Habitat

Domestic water buffalo are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Japan, Hawaii, and North and South America. Wild buffaloes, however, only remain in small, protected areas of Southeast Asia, including India, Nepal, Thailand, and Bhutan. It should be noted that the current habitat of these buffaloes is not indicative of their true preference. Over-hunting has led to their survival only in remote, difficult-to-access, or preserved areas.

Thick jungle or swampland provides adequate cover and water for the buffalo as well as enough vegetation for dietary purposes. These buffalo migrate as the weather seasons shift. The rainy season allows for more movement as water becomes more prevalent.

Diet

These buffalo are herbivores and forage for their food. They prefer grasses, but will also eat fruit, shrubs, bark, and other foliage. Buffalo, in areas that are free from human contact, will feed in the open at dawn and dusk while remaining concealed during the hottest parts of the day.

Feral buffalo, and those without adequate protection from the sun, will graze sporadically. This is likely due to the influence of interbreeding with their domestic counterparts, and it also shows in their more cattle-like behavior as opposed to their purely wild cousins.

Predators and Threats

The two primary threats to the arni are humans and domestic buffalo. Humans hunt buffalos for meat, their horns, and for ritualistic purposes as well. Additionally, habitat loss driven by the clearing of forests for farmland or residential use is also human-caused.

Interbreeding with various types of domesticated buffalo and cattle has resulted in a loss of the genetic identity of the wild water buffalo. This same close contact with domestic breeds exposes the buffalos to disease that has also devastated the wild herds.

The main predators of these buffalos are humans, tigers, leopards, and crocodiles. Almost all of these hunters attack through ambush, as these buffalos can be extremely aggressive and dangerous when threatened.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

Female water buffalo typically give birth every other year to a single baby called a calf. Male bachelor herds or lone older bulls travel to find accepting mates among the maternal herds. The gestational period lasts 10 or 11 months, and male offspring will remain with the herd for three years while females generally stay for life.

Wild buffalos have an average lifespan of 25 years, while domestic buffalos can live as long as 40 years.

Population

While domesticated buffalos, and their associated hybrid species, account for approximately 165 million individuals, the true population size of the arni is unknown. Their remote, difficult-to-access habitat and the difficulty in distinguishing between domestic, feral, and wild herds have all been significant challenges to the study of the species.

Researchers estimate that approximately 4,000 wild water buffalo remain free, and fewer than 2,500 of those are mature adults. This population is believed to be in decline, as the small number of wild buffalo continue to interbreed with domestic, feral, and hybrid water buffalo.

The wild buffalo, Bubalus arnee, is Endangered, and it exists almost exclusively in protected preserves in Southeast Asia. These preserves represent the only effective conservation effort currently being made to keep wild herds genetically pure.

Zoo

Arnis are fairly common sights in zoos in the United States. Even smaller zoos and rescue facilities like the Little Ponderosa Zoo in Clinton, TN, have arnis on site. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ, even offers a drive-thru safari attraction that boasts Asiatic water buffalo.