Water Buffalo

The water buffalo is The Netherlands newest large grazer. But what is this unusual species actually doing here? Does it even belong here? That last question is mostly a matter of perspective. Before the first Ice Age, about 126.000 years ago, the water buffalo was widespread in Europe, including the Netherlands. The landscapes, flora and fauna then were largely similar to those of today, only the composition of the megafauna differed.

Our current flora and fauna evolved together with the water buffalo. During the ice ages, the water buffalo retreated toward southeastern Europe, to areas around (what we now know as) the Black Sea, and then when the weather became warmer, re-colonized Europe. Until after the last Ice Age (11.000 years ago), the current interglacial period started: the Holocene. At that time, something crucial had changed in Europe: modern humankind had made its appearance. Humankind, just like the water buffalo, used rivers like the Danube as his pathway to spread across Europe.

Had it not been for humankind, the water buffalo would have once again roamed our lands. The water buffalo managed to re-colonize parts of Europe, up to the Neusiedlersee on the border between Hungary and Austria. Around 5.000 years ago, the animal disappeared again, before spreading across southern Europe during the time of the Roman Empire. At this moment in time, the water buffalo was no longer a wild animal, but was used to work the rice fields and provide us with buffalo milk. Whether or not the water buffalo is indigenous to our landscape, is a matter of perspective.

Water buffalo in The Noordwaard

In the Noordwaard, FREE Nature is now gaining experience with year-round grazing with water buffalo. The breed has a clear added value here. The water buffalo knows how to navigate the wet environment: where other cattle get stuck in the mud, the water buffalo travels deeper into the marshes and adds structure to the vegetation along the way. The water buffalo is quite a bit larger than most wild cattle and horses, and because of its longer intestinal system better able to digest rough vegetation. They like to eat from the older reeds, rushes and sedges, something that other grazers usually don't reach for. They're even know for eating European red pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Managing water buffalo requires some adaptations to our usual practice. They are very good swimmers, not turning their noses up for a quick flowing river such as the Waal. Riverbanks should therefore be fenced off. Their social behavior is also different from other cattle. The social structure show resemblance to that of horses. They communicate through making characteristic grunting sounds and among their conspecifics they are real cuddlers, who like to seek each other's company.