wild water buffalo

The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) is a large mammal native to Southeast Asia, sometimes considered a distinct species from its domestic counterpart. These powerful animals can weigh up to 1,200 kg (2,600 pounds) and are characterized by their large, splayed hooves adapted for deep mud. They inhabit swamps and forests, feeding primarily on grasses and sedges. Wild water buffalo are social, living in small herds, and use their keen sense of smell to detect predators, often advancing together defensively. They are endangered due to habitat loss and overhunting, and their genetic integrity is threatened by interbreeding with feral domestic buffalo.1