buffalo
Quick Summary
The term "buffalo" can refer to different mammals, leading to confusion with bison. True buffalo are native to Asia (water buffalo) and Africa (Cape buffalo), while bison are found in North America and Europe.1
Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) exist in wild and domestic forms. Domesticated water buffalo are crucial in many parts of the world, often called the "living tractor of the East," and are valued for their milk, which is high in butterfat. There are two types: river buffalo, primarily used for milk, and swamp buffalo, used as draft animals, especially in rice paddies.2
Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are large, formidable wild bovids native to Africa. They inhabit various grasslands and forests and are known for their impressive horns.3
Bison, on the other hand, have a distinct hump at the shoulders, a heavier head carried lower, and shorter, sharper horns. American bison, often mistakenly called buffalo, were once abundant in North America but were drastically reduced by hunting. Conservation efforts have helped their populations recover. The name "buffalo" likely originated from the Greek word for gazelle, which was later applied to wild oxen and eventually to bison by early European settlers in America.145
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dairyingBuffalo’s milk is produced in commercial quantities in some countries, particularly India. Where it is produced, buffalo’s milk is used in the same way as is cow’s milk, and in some areas the community milk supply consists of a mixture of both. This article treats…
Read MoreBuffalo’s milk is produced in commercial quantities in some countries, particularly India. Where it is produced, buffalo’s milk is used in the same way as is cow’s milk, and in some areas the community milk supply consists of a mixture of both. This article treats…
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dairy product…for their milk production include buffalo (in India, China, Egypt, and the Philippines), goats (in the Mediterranean countries), reindeer (in northern Europe), and sheep (in southern Europe). This section focuses on the processing of cow’s milk and milk products unless otherwise
Read More…for their milk production include buffalo (in India, China, Egypt, and the Philippines), goats (in the Mediterranean countries), reindeer (in northern Europe), and sheep (in southern Europe). This section focuses on the processing of cow’s milk and milk products unless otherwise
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IndiaCulture and religion…the widespread occurrence of the buffalo-head motif, characterized by elongated horns and in some cases sprouting pipal (Ficus religiosa) branches or other plant forms. These have been interpreted as representing a “buffalo deity.” A painted bowl from Lewan displays a pair of such heads, one a buffalo and the other…
Read More…the widespread occurrence of the buffalo-head motif, characterized by elongated horns and in some cases sprouting pipal (Ficus religiosa) branches or other plant forms. These have been interpreted as representing a “buffalo deity.” A painted bowl from Lewan displays a pair of such heads, one a buffalo and the other…
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Toda…religion centres on the all-important buffalo. Ritual must be performed for almost every dairy activity, from milking and giving the herds salt to churning butter and shifting pastures seasonally. There are ceremonies for the ordination of dairymen-priests, for rebuilding dairies, and for rethatching funerary temples. These rites and the complex…
Read More…religion centres on the all-important buffalo. Ritual must be performed for almost every dairy activity, from milking and giving the herds salt to churning butter and shifting pastures seasonally. There are ceremonies for the ordination of dairymen-priests, for rebuilding dairies, and for rethatching funerary temples. These rites and the complex…
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