Water buffalo (locally called kerbau) roam freely throughout the swamps, grass fields, and roads of Aceh. These large animals, usually much heavier than a typical cow, are each owned by Acehnese farmers, but not restrained by pens, fences, ropes, or anything else. They're released in the morning and then spend all day just kinda doing their own thing - grazing, taking mud bathes, and hanging out. In the evenings, as if they have their own built-in clocks, they return to their owner's place, where they are tied up for the night. Free-range means that water buffaloes are one of the most common obstacles to cruising down the road unobstructed. As the picture below shows, sometimes you have to stop, honk, and wait for the buffalo to mosey out of the way. Water buffaloes can also make driving a motorcycle dangerous. Not that they'd charge you or anything, but their middle-of-the-road "deposits" make the road slick, and also have a splatter effect when hit straight on.
Water buffalo (locally called kerbau) roam freely throughout the swamps, grass fields, and roads of Aceh. These large animals, usually much heavier than a typical cow, are each owned by Acehnese farmers, but not restrained by pens, fences, ropes, or anything else. They're released in the morning and then spend all day just kinda doing their own thing - grazing, taking mud bathes, and hanging out. In the evenings, as if they have their own built-in clocks, they return to their owner's place, where they are tied up for the night. Free-range means that water buffaloes are one of the most common obstacles to cruising down the road unobstructed. As the picture below shows, sometimes you have to stop, honk, and wait for the buffalo to mosey out of the way. Water buffaloes can also make driving a motorcycle dangerous. Not that they'd charge you or anything, but their middle-of-the-road "deposits" make the road slick, and also have a splatter effect when hit straight on.
