Carabao

A carabao in the Philippines

Country of
origin
Philippines
Distribution Philippines, Guam
Type Swamp
Use
Agriculture; draught; riding; hide;
meat
Traits
Weight Male: 42000 !g
"emale: 40042 !g
Height Male: #2$#%$ cm
"emale: #24#2& cm
Coat light gre' to slate(gre'
)ater bu**alo
Bubalus bubalis
+he carabao is a swamp t'pe domestic water bu**alo ,Bubalus bubalis- *ound in the Philippines.
/#0
)ater bu**aloes were probabl' introduced to the Philippines b' Mala' immigrants around %00
to 200 12. +he words carabao and +agalog: kalabaw deri3e *rom Mala': kerbau. +he *emale is
called a 4caraballa4.
/20
Characteristics
2araballa and cal* in the Philippines
2arabaos ha3e the low, wide and hea3' build o* draught animals. +he' 3ar' in colour *rom light
gre' to slate gre'. +he horns are sic!le(shaped or cur3e bac!ward toward the nec!. 2he3rons are
common. Albinoids are present in the proportion o* about %5 o* the bu**alo population. Mature
male carabaos weigh 42000 !g ,&%0#,#00 lb-, and *emales 40042 !g ,662&%$ lb-. 7eight
at withers o* the male ranges *rom #2$#%$ cm ,04 in-, and o* the *emale *rom #24#2& cm
,4&# in-. )ater bu**aloes imported to the Philippines *rom 2ambodia in the earl' 20th centur'
are called 42ambodian carabaos4. +he' ha3e white or 'ellowish hair on a pin!ish s!in but the
e'es, hoo*s and mouth are dar!, and the s!in ma' be spec!led. +he' are slightl' bigger and ha3e
larger horns. Males weigh on a3erage 8$% !g ,#,464 lb- and measure #4# cm ,8 in- at the
withers.
/20
Husbandry
)ater bu**aloes are well adapted to a hot and humid climate. )ater a3ailabilit' is o* high
importance in hot climates since the' need wallows, ri3ers or splashing water in order to reduce
the heat load and thermal stress.
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Swamp bu**aloes pre*er to wallow in a mudhole that the'
ma!e with the horns. +heir ob9ecti3e is to ac:uire a thic! coating o* mud. +he' thri3e on man'
a:uatic plants and in time o* *lood will gra;e submerged, raising their heads abo3e the water and
carr'ing :uantities o* edible plants. +he' eat reeds, giant reeds, bulrush, sedges, water h'acinth
and marsh grasses. Green *odders are used widel' *or intensi3e mil! production and *or
*attening. Man' *odder crops are conser3ed as ha', cha**ed or pulped. +rials in the Philippines
showed that the carabao, on poor :ualit' roughage, had a better *eed con3ersion rate than cattle.
/20
+he carabao cools itsel* b' l'ing in a waterhole or mud during the heat o* the da'. Mud, ca!ed
on to its bod', also protects it *rom bothersome insects. +he carabao *eeds mainl' in the cool o*
the mornings and e3enings. <ts li*e span is #6 to 20 'ears and the *emale carabao can deli3er one
cal* each 'ear.
In the Philippines
Mala' immigrants probabl' introduced water bu**aloes in the period %00 to 200 12. =ater
2hinese settlers also brought water bu**aloes that are sometimes re*erred to as 4Shanghai
bu**aloes4. 2arabaos are widel' distributed in all the larger islands o* the Philippine archipelago.
>arl' in the 20th centur', water bu**aloes were imported *rom 2ambodia *or wor! in sugarcane
plantations; 2ambodian carabaos are larger and ha3e bigger horns. Murrah bu**aloes were *irst
introduced *rom <ndia in #&#$. A *ew representati3es o* the ?ili breed ha3e also been ac:uired.
+he word carabao is now used *or the imported ri3er t'pe bu**aloes as well as *or the local
swamp bu**aloes.
/20
+he hardened hide o* a carabao ,left- and a cow ,right-, displa'ed in the 2risologo Museum, in
@igan, <locos Sur, Philippines
2arabao hide was once used eAtensi3el' to create a 3ariet' o* products, including the armor o*
pre(colonial "ilipino warriors.
/citation needed0
<n #&&%, the Philippine 2arabao 2enter was established to conser3e, propagate and promote the
carabao as a source o* dra*t animal power, meat, mil! and hide to bene*it the rural *armers
through carabao genetic impro3ement, technolog' de3elopment and dissemination, and
establishment o* carabao based enterprises, thus ensuring higher income and better nutrition. +he
?ational )ater 1u**alo Gene Pool in the Science 2it' o* MuBo; is a *acilit' *or continuous
selection, testing, and propagation o* superior breeds o* dair' bu**aloes.
/40
2arabao cart
<n 200%, there were %.2 million carabao bu**aloes in the Philippines, &&5 belong to small
*armers that ha3e limited resources, low income and little access to other economic
opportunities.
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Cne o* the man' reasons *or the *ailure o* the attempted Dapanese paci*ication o* the Philippines
during their #&4#(#&4 occupation was their indi**erence to the basics o* the "ilipino econom'.
+he carabaos pro3ided the necessar' labor that allowed "ilipino *armers to grow rice and other
staples. Dapanese arm' patrols would not onl' con*iscate the rice but would also slaughter the
carabaos *or meat, thereb' pre3enting the *armers *rom growing enough rice to *eed the large
population. 1e*ore )orld )ar <<, there were an estimated three million carabaos in the
Philippines. 1' the end o* the war it is estimated that nearl' $05 o* them had been lost.
/0
+he old payatak method o* *arming is still the method o* choice in ?orthern Samar. +he soil o*
the rice padd' is *irst so*tened with rainwater or di3erted watershed, then the *armer guides a
group o* carabaos in trampling the planting area until it is sogg' enough to recei3e the rice
seedlings. +his time consuming tas! produces lower 'ields and lower income when compared
with the ad3ancement in irrigated *ields.
/80
<n the late #&60s, the carabao puppet character
Eardong Ealabaw became popular as a s'mbol o* the "ilipino peopleFs hard wor! and sense o*
industr'.
/$0
In Guam
2arabaos were introduced to Guam b' Spanish missionaries in the #$th centur' *rom domestic
stoc! in the Philippines to be used as beasts o* burden. A *eral herd on the GS ?a3al Maga;ine in
central Guam was classi*ied as protected game. 1ut the population has been declining since
#&62, most li!el' due to illegal hunting.
/60
2arabaos were used *or *arming and *or pulling carts. +he' were *airl' common in Guam be*ore
the 20th centur', with a population numbering in the thousands. +oda' the' are rare in most parts
o* the island eAcept in the GS ?a3al Maga;ine near the 3illage o* Santa Hita, which is *enced on
all sides. +he carabao population o* ?a3al Maga;ine has grown to se3eral hundred, to the point
that the' ha3e become a pest and caused en3ironmental damage, and polluted the water suppl' in
the "ena Heser3oir. <n 200%, the ?a3' began a program o* eAtermination to control the carabao
population o* ?a3al Maga;ine, a mo3e that was protested b' man' 2hamorro people.
/citation needed0
+he carabao is considered a national s'mbol o* Guam. <n the earl' #&80s, carabao races were a
popular sport in the island, especiall' during *iestas. +oda', carabaos are a part o* the popular
culture. +he' are o*ten brought to carni3als or other *esti3ities, and are used as a popular ride *or
children. 2arabao meat is sometimes eaten as a delicac'.
/citation needed0
In alaysia
+he carabao is the o**icial animal o* the state o* ?egeri Sembilan, Mala'sia.
/&0
!eferences
#. "AC 20#%. Philippine Carabao/Philippines <n: Iomestic Animal Ii3ersit'
<n*ormation S'stem. "ood and Agriculture Crgani;ation o* the Gnited ?ations, Home.
2. 2oc!rill, ). H. ,#&$$-. The water buffalo. Home: Animal Production and 7ealth
Series ?o. 4. "ood and Agriculture Crgani;ation o* the Gnited ?ations.
%. 1orghese, A., Ma;;i, M. ,200-. Buffalo Population and Strategies in the World.
Pages #%& in 1orghese, A. ,ed.- Buffalo Production and Research. H>G +echnical
Series 8$. <nter(regional 2ooperati3e Hesearch ?etwor! on 1u**alo, "AC Hegional
C**ice *or >urope, Home.
4. Philippine 2arabao 2enter ,20##-. Annual Report. Iepartment o* Agriculture.
. Schmidt, =. S. ,#&62-. American n!ol!ement in the "ilipino Resistance on
#indanao $uring the %apanese &ccupation' ()*+,()*-. M.S. +hesis. G.S. Arm'
2ommand and General Sta** 2ollege.
8. Philippine Iail' <n:uirer, 6(#6(200$.
$. Al*ie @era Mella, #ay .atutunan /a Ba kay /iko #atsing0, +he "ilipino Dournal,
retrie3ed 200$(#2(#6
6. 2onr', P. D. ,#&66-. #anagement of feral and e1otic game species on 2uam.
+ransactions o* the )estern Section o* the )ildli*e Societ' 24: 28%0.
&. "alay# http:JJwww.mpsns.go3.m'JmpsK32J1MJpsrKidentiti.htm