Waterbuffalo "Carabao" ride in Philippines

The farmer steers his carabao drawn carriage

The water buffalo, or "Carabao," is the national animal of the Philippines. Waterbuffalo is very widespread as a

domestic animal in Philippines.

A Special Animal

The carabao is the national animal of the Philippines being around the Filipino lives for many

years helping many poor farmers in their way of life and for survival often ending up selling

his carabao for cash in times of hardship. Aside from farming, a carabao is a nutritious source

of milk and meat just like any cattle. During the pre-colonial period, the dried skin hide of the

carabao were used for armours. The carabao horns are also used in furniture, as a home

accessory, décor and in fashion jewelry.

Carabao are the traditional beast of burden in the Philippines and are still used in the province to

pull a sled made of tree branches to transport heavy loads over rough ground.

Beast of Burden

The Carabao festival

The Carabao Festivals

The carabao or water buffalo is one of the decorated beasts in festivals just like its

horned cousins from ­other parts of the world such as the Buffalo Body Painting Traditional

Festival participated by China-Vietnam-Cambodia, the decorated Bangalore Bull, the

decorated Brahman Bull as a sacred animal in India to name a few.