Our Buffalo

Water Buffalo, which are not to be confused with American plains buffalo or Bison, are part of the bovine group of animals, cloven footed and with four teats. They are however, unable to mate with cattle, having an entirely different genetic make-up. They can calve every year under careful management carrying their calf for an average ten and a half months. They are docile and intelligent animals often tended by young children in south east asia. They should not be confused with the African Cape Buffalo often seen on wildlife programmes which are unpredictable at the best of times. They are not related to the cape buffalo and cannot interbreed with them.

There are two types of Water Buffalo, the river and the swamp. The swamp type buffaloes are limited primarily to south east asia and are used for draught work and meat production. The river type is to be found from India westwards. Of the river type there is the Mediterranean type which owes its existence to the work of the crusaders. On their return from the middle east they brought water buffalo with them and established herds in Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, France and England. Sadly, the herds in France and England died out but substantial herds remained in the other three countries. In Italy there are around 200,000 head of Buffalo whose milk is used in the production of Mozzarella.

In the early 1990s buffalo were reintroduced to the UK by the Water Buffalo Co-operative and there are around a dozen or so herds presently in existence here.