Breed: Carpathian Buffalo
Synonyms: Karpatenbüffel
Species: Buffalo
Description: Firm claws adapted to the stony ground, long fur for the winter and a stocky, massive body make the Carpathian buffalo a robust survivor. This clearly distinguishes it from its conspecifics living further south. His labor is enormous, milk and meat are tasty delicacies.
Dissemination: Since there has been no coordinated breeding for these animals in Transcarpathia (Karpato-Ukraine) since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the population threatened to collapse and disappear completely. The main problems are the aging of the breeders and difficulties in finding suitable studs for the occupancy. The remaining stock in 1998 was 65 animals in four breeds. Ten years later there were still 38 animals in three places. In 2009 an Ark and Rescue Station was set up, which by the end of the year had a total of 19 buffalo. The population is supported in the long term by this gene reserve.
History: It comes from the called Mediterranean type of buffalo, but genetic studies are still pending. Historically and derived from the phenotype, there is a close relationship with the Romanian Carpathian buffalo. This northernmost buffalo population in the world is very well adapted to the local challenges due to its at least 1500 years of history in the Carpathian Mountains. His high intelligence makes him unsuitable for factory farming. Because of this, it is a multi-purpose breed that has been bred for subsistence farming for millennia.
Breed Sources: http://www.karpaten-bueffel.eu/en/carpathian-buffalo.html