23/10/2022
Interesting Buffalo Facts
Fact 1. Asian buffaloes are among the largest bulls in the world. Their males are larger than females, and adults can weigh up to 1200 kg, growing up to 3 meters in length and 2 meters in height at the withers! These animals are sometimes also called water buffaloes, as they spend most of their lives near water bodies, and willingly feed on aquatic vegetation.
Fact 2. As with bulls and cows, in buffaloes, only males usually have horns. In some breeds, females also have them, but still, most horns either do not exist at all, or they are very small. In males, they can grow up to 120-130 in length each! But since the horns are hollow inside, they weigh relatively little, and therefore do not cause inconvenience to these animals. The distance between the tips of their horns can exceed 120 cm.
Fact 3. The constant companions of these ungulates are some birds, such as buffalo starlings and weavers. These birds never stray far from the herd, as they feed mainly on insects, which are picked out from the folds of the buffalo skin. Mighty herbivores get along well with these birds, realizing that their partnership is beneficial to both parties.
Fact 4. In India, where for most of the population the cow is a sacred animal, on sale, however, you can often find beef. This mystery is explained simply - beef is simply called buffalo meat, although it differs in taste from real beef, and besides, it is tougher. Therefore, in fact, in Southeast Asia, buffaloes are usually kept for milk, and not for meat.
Fact 5. In all of Africa, it is buffaloes that are the only type of bulls that are found in the wild on this continent. There used to be another one, but it died out a long time ago, about 9 thousand years ago. Ordinary bulls with cows do not take root very well here due to the unsuitable climate, although they are still bred on farms in South Africa.
Fact 6. People domesticated Asian buffalo so long ago that no one knows exactly when it happened. But no one has yet succeeded in domesticating Africans, since they are distinguished by a very violent disposition and high aggressiveness.
Fact 7. A person can never run away from an angry buffalo. These animals, if necessary, are able to run much faster than we humans, while developing speeds of up to 50 km / h! They will not be able to run for long in this mode, but they can hold out long enough to catch up and trample the offender.
Fact 8. African buffaloes are ranked 3rd in the list of wild animals that kill the most people in Africa. In the first place are crocodiles, in the second - hippos. However, according to other sources, hippos are even more dangerous than crocodiles.
Fact 9. Asian buffaloes in the wild may soon disappear altogether as a species. More precisely, physical extinction does not threaten them, but wild animals live next to people, and therefore often interbreed with domestic buffaloes, from which they have differences. This affects the purity of the breed of wild animals.
Fact 10. Buffalo milk is similar to cow's milk, but it is much more fatty, while they produce several times less milk than cows of the corresponding breeds. But it is widely used, and even traditional Italian mozzarella cheese, according to the correct recipe, should be prepared from buffalo milk, and not from cow's.