Wild Buffalos are an endangered species and a favorite prey for tigers. They are thought to only survive in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Thailand. The wild buffaloes are found in Assam and Chhattisgarh. In India it is mostly found in Kaziranga National Park , as per the last count in 430 sqkm Kaziranga put the number of wild buffaloes at around 1400. Wild buffaloes are also important to the grassland ecosystem as they help in plant rejuvenation.
Crossbreeding with domestic buffalo as well as shrinkage and destruction of the habitat were considered major threats to the wild buffalo's survival in the range. The animal is protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia. The species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the remaining population totals less than 4,000, with an estimate of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. A comprehensive monograph, first of its kind and authored by Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury was published in 2010. This work has put the global population at 3,400 of which 3,100 or 91% are in India, mostly Assam.
The wild water buffalo is the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo, and the second largest wild bovid, smaller only than the Gaur. Wild water buffalo are larger and heavier than domestic buffalo, and weigh up to 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Their head-to-body-length is 240 to 300 cm (94 to 120 in) with a 60 to 100 cm (24 to 39 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 150 to 190 cm (59 to 75 in). Both sexes carry horns that are heavy at the base and widely spreading up to 2 m (79 in) along the outer edges, exceeding in size the horns of any other living bovid. Their skin color is ash gray to black
Wild water buffaloes occur in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, and Cambodia with unconfirmed population in Myanmar. "The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo is a large bovine native to Southeast Asia. The species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the remaining population totals less than 4,000, with an estimate of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. The global population has been estimated at 3,400 individuals, of which 3,100 (91%) live in India, mostly in Assam. The wild water buffalo is the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo, and the second largest wild bovid, smaller only than the Gaur.
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species. Compared to other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility.
Kaziranga is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water. Kaziranga has been the theme of several books, songs, and documentaries. The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest.
Source: Wikipedia
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