What do we know about cattle native to other parts of the world?
I thought this might be an interesting topic to check out so let’s start with what is known as the Philippine Native Cattle.
This breed is indigenous to the Philippines and can be found on many of the islands. They are small in size, with a full-grown bull weighing about 400kgs and the female cow weighing about 300kgs.
Used predominately for draft work, milk and beef, they can range in colour from grey to fawn to brown and can be seen roaming in the fields and around the farmer’s house, sometimes very close to the road. They have a rather unique look, with their large droopy ears and the males having a hump on their back.
Another breed is the Carabao, which is a type of water buffalo. It was first introduced to the Philippines by Malay and Chinese immigrants between 300 and 200 BC. They play an important role in rural farming communities and are well known for their hard work as draft animals used in the rice fields for cultivation. They are also a source of carabao milk and carabeef and have shown that even feeding on poor quality roughage, they have a better feed conversion rate than other cattle. They have a low, wide and heavy build, typical of draft animal, with horns that curve backward towards their neck.
The Philippines also have a species of wild cattle, known as the Tamaraw, (Mindoro dwarf buffalo). Even though it is the world’s smallest buffalo, it is the Philippines’s second largest land mammal and was declared as their national land animal in 2017. It can only be found on the island of Mindoro and unfortunately, due to illegal hunting, it is at high risk of extinction. A hundred years ago the population was around 10,000 but today there are only a few hundred animals still in existence in the wild.
So now you know about the Filipino cattle breeds and the important role they play in their country’s society.