Water buffalo in MV: The secret weapon for moorland and nature conservation!

Water buffalo in MV: The secret weapon for moorland and nature conservation!

Around 1,400 water buffalo live in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where the rolling hills and wide meadows provide a picturesque backdrop. These impressive animals have established themselves as true landscape managers in moorland and wet areas. As the n-tv reported that they cope better with the challenging conditions in these areas than conventional cattle. One reason for this is their unique claw physiology, which allows them to traverse even difficult terrain. Almut Scheler from the MV State Research Institute (LFA) emphasizes that the water buffalo are not only used for grazing, but also contribute to biodiversity in these sensitive habitats.

Water buffaloes need water to cool down - ideally they can find a mud bath to refresh themselves. These special animals not only help to keep areas free, but also represent a valuable resource: their meat, be it in the form of goulash, steaks, salami or hunting sausage, is enjoying growing popularity. Although the total cattle population in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania comprises an impressive 440,000 animals, the water buffalo herd remains a small but important niche.

Water buffalo as a tradition and perspective

By the way, water buffalo have a long tradition in Central Europe. In the High Middle Ages they were widespread as pets in Germany Biorama reported. Despite their history, these hardy animals cannot compete in modern agriculture without support. For example, Manfred Forthofer, who keeps 51 water buffaloes on his organic farm in Austria, has created a pond for his animals to give them a cool place in summer. This is particularly important because water buffaloes do not require grain feed and therefore enable them to be kept close to nature.

In Romania, for example, there is still a remaining population of around 15,000 water buffaloes, which are also used for landscape maintenance. The EU Green Deal plans to ecologically improve 20% of Europe's land and sea areas. Water buffalo could play a crucial role here, especially in maintaining wetlands and promoting biodiversity.

A look to the future

Keeping water buffaloes has become more important in Germany over the last 15 years. They are not only active in landscape conservation, but are also interested in the production of mozzarella cheese. The International Promotion of the Use of Water Buffaloes in Landscape Management (IFWL) has set itself the goal of making the positive properties of these animals more widely known. It has already organized conferences to discuss legal and practical frameworks, which have attracted great interest. Likewise emphasizes the Website of the Leiserberge Nature Park how important water buffalo are for conservation projects.

The return of large herbivores such as water buffalo is seen not only as an opportunity to improve our landscapes, but also as a step towards sustainability in the agricultural sector. The combination of everyday agriculture and nature conservation is the key to overcoming the challenges of our time. After all, water buffalo farming is not only a tasty business, but also a contribution to preserving our valuable nature.