History
The Greek buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) belongs to the common water buffalo type, (Murrah), and in particular to the Mediterranean buffalo subtype. The Greek buffalo is thought to descend from the European water buffalo, which due to geographical isolation in the Mediterranean basin, has developed some very special morphological and productive characteristics.
There are two main speculations regarding the introduction of water buffalos in Greece. The first relates to the Persian wars and the army of Xerxes (480-479 BC) that used buffalos for carrying military supplies due to their great strength and stamina under adverse conditions. Wild animal attacks at Persian troops in the Strymon area possibly caused water buffalos to disperse with their scattered survivors becoming the foundation of the indigenous population of Greek water buffalos. A second conjecture proposes that the introduction of water buffalos in Greece occurred during the Attila invasion at the end of the Roman era and later with the expansion of Turkic tribes, thus coinciding with the introduction of water buffalos into the rest of southern and eastern Europe.
Buffaloes contributed significantly to the economy and survival of the Greek family during the years of poverty in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and passed into obscurity in the 1950s with the introduction of high productivity cattle from other European countries. However, a small number of water buffalos managed to survive in a few wetlands and especially in Lake Kerkini, in the Serres prefecture where most of the population continues to be bred until today.
The Greek water buffalo has been included in the list of endangered and protected breeds under the Ramsar Treaty. In 2004 the “Greek Buffalo Breeders Association” was formed for pursuing the entire range of activities relating to the genetic improvement and promotion of water buffalos in Northern Greece. In recent years the Association has expanded its activities throughout Greece and in collaboration with the “Institute for Animal Genetic Resources” of Thessaloniki, has achieved the registration of the entire population of Greek Water Buffalos in the breed’s herd book.
Morphological Traits
The color of the skin of the Greek buffalo varies from brown to black and the color of the coat from dark grey to black. The horns, nostrils and hooves are black. Most animals have white spots on the forehead and legs.
A characteristic that some animals exhibit is partial discoloration of the iris, a phenomenon called "blue eyes" or “hererochromic eyes”. The horns are medium in length, while in females horns are longer and thinner than those of the males. They have a narrow face with sparse hairs in the lower jaw. The body is broad and the legs short and strong. The chest is deep and the abdomen large. Tails are short in young animals rarely reaching the hock but in mature animals long with the tip touching the ground. Height at the withers for bulls and cows is 124-145 cm and 120-140 cm respectively. Corresponding weights for bulls and cows are 400-750 kg and 350-600 kg.
Population
Nowadays, Greek buffaloes are mainly located in the wetland area of Lake Kerkini while individual farms are situated in the prefectures of Evros, Rodopi, Fthiotida, Arta, Etoloakarnania and Thessaloniki. The total number of breeding animals is 4.868. The breed is classified as ‘Not at Risk’.