The water buffalos on Marajo Island survive by using their environment in different ways. They eat the plants that grow on the island's wetlands and pastures to stay healthy. There is an abundance of grass and plants for them to eat because it rains here every day.
When they get too hot or bothered by insects, they cool off in the water, mud or under trees. I often see them laying in pools of water flicking their tails through the air. Their strong bodies help them pull carts and plows through the muddy terrain, and they can handle the tropical weather. These skills help them to live well on the island and play an important role in the island's ecosystem and economy.
Farmers and people living on the island often use the water buffalo as a source of income and food. It is very common for people to own buffalo at least once in their life. Wild and domestic water buffalos on Marajo Island can be harmed by various threats in their environment including being hunted for their meat and hides, contracting diseases, losing their habitat to urbanization and being impacted by changes in climate patterns. Conservation efforts are being made to monitor their population and work with local communities to develop sustainable practices to protect the water buffalo's habitat and population so that they are around for many more years.
