Water Buffalo

Water buffalo are large, powerful animals found in Asia and parts of Africa. They love spending time in rivers, swamps, and mud. Their wide hooves keep them from sinking in soft, muddy ground. Water buffalo have been helping farmers for thousands of years.

Life in the Water

Water buffalo spend much of their day soaking in water or mud. This keeps them cool and protects their skin from insects. Their large horns can spread up to 6 feet wide. Wild water buffalo live in herds near rivers and wetlands in Asia.

Helping Humans

Domestic water buffalo are very important to farmers in Asia. They help plow rice fields in wet, muddy soil. Water buffalo also provide milk, which is used to make cheese and yogurt. More people in the world depend on water buffalo than on cattle.

Fun Facts

• Water buffalo horns can spread up to 6 feet from tip to tip.
• Water buffalo provide more milk worldwide than dairy cattle in many Asian countries.
• Wild water buffalo are endangered, with fewer than 4,000 left.

Did You Know?

Water buffalo are sometimes called the living tractors of the East! They can work in deep mud where machines would get stuck.