Water buffalo are farmed across Asia and increasingly in Europe for milk, meat, and draft work. Their welfare needs differ significantly from cattle and are often inadequately accommodated.
Water buffalo welfare is shaped by their physiological need for thermal regulation through wallowing — a behaviour that is difficult to accommodate in intensive farming systems. Unlike cattle, buffalo lack the sweat gland density for effective evaporative cooling, making access to water or mud wallows physiologically necessary rather than merely enrichment. Heat stress causes immune suppression, reduced reproduction, and chronic welfare compromise. Italian mozzarella buffalo farming has faced scrutiny following investigations revealing inadequate space, poor body condition, and health problems in some operations. Draft buffalo welfare in developing countries is often severely compromised by overwork, inadequate nutrition, and lack of veterinary care — a significant but underrecognised welfare burden affecting working animals across Asia.