Lowland anoa
Common Name: Lowland anoa
Scientific Name: Bubalus depressicornis
Anoas wallow in pools of water and mud. This is thought to help them cool off, as well as to protect them from insects.
These animals feed during the morning and later afternoon, and rest in the shade during the hottest parts of the day. They forage for food at night.
Lowland anoas have short horns which point backwards so they don’t get tangled in the dense forest undergrowth.
Fast Facts
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Status
Endangered
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Size
Head – body 122-188cm; shoulder height 60 -100cm
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Weight
Up to 300kg
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Gestation
275 -315 days
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Young
1
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Life span
20 -30 years
In the wild
Lowland anoas are browsers, feeding on a wide variety of low growing plants. Anoas in one survey were found to have browsed over 146 different types of plants. Flowering plants were found to make up more than two thirds of their diet, and they were also found to particularly seek out the fruits of several species.
This species is only found in Indonesia on the islands of Sulawesi and Buton. They live in a variety of forest habitats including tropical forests, swamp and mangrove forest.
Little is known about the breeding behaviour of anoas in the wild. In captivity they start to breed at two to three years of age, and generally have one calf per year. The young are a bright reddish-orange colour when they are born. They are weaned by the time they are 6 to 9 months old.
The main threats to lowland anoas are from hunting, mainly for food, as well as from habitat loss due to land being used for agriculture. They are also threatened by forest areas being used for mining. These animals are listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that trade in these animals or any of their parts is illegal. They are also protected under Indonesian law, and are found in a number of protected areas.
