Swamp water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis carabanensis) spend entire lives in water at Danau Panggang

Most of the lives of swamp water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis carabanensis) in Danau Panggang, South Kalimantan, are spent in the water. They occasionally climb on the floating stage to sleep, but keep looking for food in the water, not on land. This is the real world of water buffalo!

If you are traveling to Danau Panggang District, Hulu Sungai Utara Regency, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, you are watching farmers raise their buffalo into waters of around 38,000 hectares, not in grasslands like cattle or goats in general.

This district is 65% of swamps and lakes, while buffaloes belonging to local farmers, especially in Bararawa village. Hundreds of swamp water buffalo forage by swimming in the water every day and B. b. carabanensis is not a wild buffalo. Dozens of cages are built on Danau Panggang and all above the water surface.

The pillars and connecting footing boards are landings for buffaloes to sunbathe and sleep at night. Cages on water are built using Bornean ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri) which is waterproof and weatherproof. Each cage is inhabited by one to two hundred buffaloes of various ages. Those who are already eligible for sale will be taken to land to be cut or sold again as part of certain traditional ceremonies.

Dlium.com Swamp water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis carabanensis) spend entire lives in water at Danau Panggang

Shepherds come every morning at 7:00 using a small motorized boat to herd adult buffaloes into a lake containing various water plants as a favorite feed for buffaloes. Then, they returned to the cage to feed young buffaloes.

The buffaloes also breed where babies generally have not been able to feed themselves and are unable to swim for long periods of time. If they are exhausted they will sink and die. They have to get different treatments.

Adult buffaloes return to the cage near dusk after swimming all day looking for food like having a personal clock. They are orderly going to their respective cages, going up to the stage and resting at night. Until now, no buffalo had mistakenly entered a different cage.

Every day dozens of boats bring tourists to watch swamp water buffaloes that cannot be found anywhere else. The best time to visit Danau Panggang is before sunrise where all buffalo activities begin.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Bubalus
Species: B. bubalis
Subspecies: B. bubalis carabanensis

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