Quick answer
Key facts about water buffalo — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Domestic importance
Over 130 million domestic water buffalo support rural economies from India to Southeast Asia, ploughing rice fields and producing rich milk for mozzarella-style cheeses in Italy's bufala industry.
Wallowing behaviour
Buffalo immerse in muddy pools to regulate temperature and shed parasites. Wetland wallowing creates microhabitats for fish and birds — an ecological role beyond simple livestock.
Wild Asian buffalo
Wild Bubalus arnee survives in scattered reserves in India, Nepal, and Thailand. Hybridisation with domestic escapes and hunting threaten pure wild lineages.
Conservation status
Domestic forms are abundant globally; the wild ancestor is Endangered with fewer than 4,000 mature individuals. Protected swamps in Kaziranga and Chitwan are key refuges.