Asiatic Wild Buffalo: Habitat and Conservation

Category: Environment & Ecology → Mammals → Grassland/Wetland Wildlife

Scientific Name

Bubalus arnee

Characteristics

  • Wild relative of domestic water buffalo.

  • Large herbivorous mammal.

  • Associated with:

    • Grasslands

    • Wetlands

    • Riverine habitats

    • Forest edges

Distribution in India

Important populations occur mainly in:

  • Assam

  • Arunachal Pradesh

  • Chhattisgarh

  • Maharashtra

Conservation

  • IUCN: Endangered

  • CITES: Appendix III in some listings/context

  • Wild Life (Protection) Act: Schedule I.

Major Threats

  • Habitat loss

  • Hybridisation with domestic buffalo

  • Hunting

  • Disease transmission

  • Fragmentation

UPSC Key Pointer

Asiatic Wild Buffalo → Bubalus arnee → Schedule I