Water buffalo are farmed for milk, meat, and draught power across South and Southeast Asia. Their welfare needs are distinct from cattle and poorly addressed in current regulation.
Water buffalo welfare is almost entirely absent from international animal welfare discourse despite their enormous global population. Their wallowing requirement is physiological rather than merely behavioural preference - without access to water or mud, buffalo overheat and suffer chronic stress. Social isolation causes significant psychological distress in these highly gregarious animals. Welfare standards specific to buffalo are urgently needed alongside those for the more-studied cattle.