Water buffalo

Scientific name: Bubalus bubalis

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Massive, dark grey to black animals with loose, thick skin. Males are noticeably larger and more heavily muscled than females; both sexes carry long, backward-sweeping horns with a distinctive lyre or crescent shape.

Size and weight

Males 700–1200 kg, females 500–900 kg; body length 200–250 cm. Head-to-body length averages 210 cm.

Habitat

Water buffalo inhabit wetlands, marshes, riverine floodplains, and grasslands with permanent or seasonal water sources. They favour areas with dense vegetation and mud wallows, typically at low to moderate elevations.

Distribution

Native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia; now feral or domesticated populations occur across South Asia, Australia, and parts of Africa. Prefer lowland river valleys and seasonally inundated plains.

Diet

Grazes on grasses, sedges, and aquatic vegetation; feeds heavily on water plants during wet seasons and transitions to tougher grassland forage when water recedes.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, active during cooler hours and often resting in water or mud during heat. Highly social, moving in herds of 5–30 individuals; bulls may be solitary or in bachelor groups.

Hunting tips

Look for deep, broad tracks (10–15 cm wide) at water edges and trails through reed beds; dung is bulky and fibrous. Approach from downwind during early morning or late afternoon when animals move between water and grazing areas. Use waterside vegetation and morning thermal patterns to stalk herds; isolate individuals away from the group for safer stalking.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.