Buffalo are strict herbivores, meaning their diet consists entirely of plant matter. This classification applies to all major species, including the African Cape Buffalo, the Asian Water Buffalo, and the American Bison. Their entire physiological design, from their teeth to their multi-chambered stomach, is specialized for the digestion of fibrous vegetation.
Buffalo are Dedicated Herbivores
Buffalo consume grasses, sedges, and forbs. As grazers, they spend a large part of their day consuming forage to meet their energy requirements. A large buffalo can consume over 1.5% of its body weight in dry matter each day, equating to dozens of pounds of plant material.
African Cape Buffalo graze on grasses in savannas, while Water Buffalo incorporate aquatic plants due to their marshy habitats. American Bison are selective grazers, focusing on grasses and sedges. This high-fiber, plant-only diet establishes their ecological role as primary consumers.
Addressing the Question of Bone Chewing
While buffalo do not consume meat, they are sometimes observed chewing on animal bones, antlers, or dried hides, a behavior known as osteophagy. This practice is driven by a specific nutritional deficit, as herbivores obtain insufficient amounts of certain minerals from vegetation alone.
The primary deficiency is a lack of phosphorus and sometimes calcium, both abundant in bone but scarce in mature grasses. Phosphorus is important for bone formation, energy metabolism, and reproductive health. Chewing on bones allows the buffalo to supplement these macro-minerals, which are particularly needed during periods of high demand, such as lactation or rapid growth. This mineral-seeking behavior is a survival adaptation, distinct from carnivorous eating.
Specialized Ruminant Digestion
Buffalo cannot process meat because their specialized ruminant digestive system is designed to break down plant cellulose. This system features a stomach divided into four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen acts as a fermentation vat, hosting a dense population of specialized microbes, including bacteria and protozoa.
These microbes produce the enzyme cellulase, which breaks down the cellulose found in plant cell walls; mammals cannot produce this enzyme. The partially digested plant material, called cud, is periodically regurgitated for rechewing. This process further breaks down the fibers and allows the buffalo to extract energy from high-fiber food.
After fermentation, the material passes through the omasum, which absorbs water and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The final chamber, the abomasum, is considered the “true stomach” because it functions like a simple stomach. Here, digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid are secreted to break down the microbial bodies, which the buffalo then absorbs as its main source of protein and energy. The entire process is finely tuned for processing vegetation, making meat ingestion biologically inefficient.