Lydia

Lydia, 2025
Yulia Shtern, Magical Zoo Series
17 1/2 x 19 x 13 1/4“
upcycled materials, glue, varnish
4450

Wild water buffalo, or Asian buffalo, is endemic to the wet grasslands and swamps of the Indochinese Peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is both diurnal and nocturnal, and is one of the heaviest bovid species living in the wild, adults reaching around 900 kg (2000 lbs). Males are three times bigger than females. Both sexes of the buffalo have horns. Mothers form strong bonds with their calves, and live in territory-based families that are led by an old female. These families form a larger herd. Adult males typically form smaller groups of their own, with older males often separating from them and living solitary. The wild water buffaloes feed on crops and grasses. They are more sensitive to heat than most bovids because they have fewer sweat glands, and spend most of the daytime submerged in the muddy waters of swamps and rivers in order to cool their bodies down and protect themselves from insect bites. One of the threats they face is interbreeding with domestic buffalo. The domestication took place over 5000 years ago. The global population of the wild water buffalo is estimated at less than 4000 individuals, and is projected to continue declining.
Conservation status: endangered. Threats to existence: habitat loss, hunting, interbreeding with domestic buffalo.