Great portraits as usual GL, but ineed a few things cleared up in my head about these buffalo, if anyone can enlighten me.
Are the Port Lympne water buffalo true WILD Asian water buffalo, or hybrids or domesticated?
Are they only ones outside Asia, if indeed they are wild?
Would there be any chance of augmenting the herd or is it all over for them as a breeding herd?
The Port Lympne website says, rather ambiguously, that they contain wild genes (or some such phrase). Its probably very difficult to tell the difference between a pure wild buffalo and one with some domestic genes.
I think this group is still breeding and that there are a few others scattered around - probably with similarly doubtful provenance. They make a very good display in their big paddock, at least when they are not lying in their muddy pool.
As discussed elsewhere, the West Mids Water Buffalo are from the same group. Externally they look very much like true wild type buffalo. Genetically, not so sure.
i've been trying to find some clear information about this myself. from what i can gather there is wild-type asian buffalo and two domesticated breeds, swamp and riverine.
some call the wild type a different species, others don't.
from memory there is some chromosomal discrepancies between wild type and domesticated buffalo, which is the main argument for the separate species debate.
that said, of the two domesticated forms - i can't seem to visually discern the swamp (the type that runs feral in australia) from photos of the true wild type. the riverine on the other hand has the small spiralled horns that are clearly recognisable.
in australia the two breeds are being crossed to make a superior breed for cheese production as i believe (again from memory) the swamp are larger but the riverine more cold tolerant (and thus suited to farming in southern australia).
my guess is the above animal is a domesticated swamp buffalo, but if anyone could shed more light on the issue - i would love to absorb more info!
