# Anoa — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Bubalus depressicornis and B. quarlesi — dwarf buffalo of Sulawesi*

> Anoa are dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia — the smallest wild cattle at roughly 90 cm shoulder height — with lowland and mountain species both listed Endangered and declining through hunting and forest loss.

**IUCN status:** Endangered — both species declining on Sulawesi  ·  **WARN range:** Sulawesi, Indonesia, Endemic — lowland and mountain forests

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Shoulder height | Roughly 90 cm — smallest wild cattle |
| Species | Lowland and mountain anoa |
| Range | Sulawesi only — Wallacea endemic |
| Habitat | Lowland and montane forest |
| IUCN status | Endangered (both species) |
| Main threats | Hunting; forest conversion |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Bubalus
- **Species:** B. depressicornis (lowland); B. quarlesi (mountain)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Endangered
- **Population:** Unknown — inferred declining
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2016
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- Both Sulawesi anoa species are Endangered. Data are poor, but hunting and forest loss continue across the island.

## Key facts: Anoa
- Anoa are the smallest wild cattle, standing roughly 90 centimetres at the shoulder — dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi.
- Two species are recognised: lowland anoa in lowland forest and mountain anoa at higher elevations.
- Both are listed Endangered, with populations inferred to be declining from hunting and habitat loss.
- Sulawesi sits in Wallacea — a zone of high endemism where Asian and Australian faunas meet — and anoa occur nowhere else.
- Forest conversion for agriculture, plantations and infrastructure removes understory habitat anoa need for browsing and wallowing.
- Hunting for meat and horns continues across much of Sulawesi where enforcement is weak and forest access has expanded.

## The smallest wild cattle
Domestic cattle and their wild relatives span a wide size range, but anoa anchor the bottom. At roughly 90 centimetres shoulder height and a body mass far below domestic buffalo, they are adapted to dense forest rather than open grassland. Short horns, dark coat and a compact build let them move through understory and wallow in forest mud.

Lowland and mountain species partition elevation. Lowland anoa occupy tropical forest below roughly 1,000 metres; mountain anoa range higher. The split is not always obvious in the field, and historical confusion between the two complicated taxonomy and assessment.

## Wallacea and Sulawesi endemism
Sulawesi's shape — four long peninsulas around a central mass — created isolated forest refuges that evolved distinctive mammals. Anoa are among them, alongside babirusas, macaques and tarsiers covered in companion guides on this tier. Wallacea as a whole has high endemism and relatively low formal protection compared with the species richness it holds.

Anoa require intact forest with water for wallowing. They are not pasture animals; clearing for smallholder gardens, oil palm and other crops removes the understory and wallows they use, and road building opens previously inaccessible forest to hunters.

## Hunting and forest conversion
Anoa are hunted for meat across Sulawesi, and horns enter local trade. The animals are shy and difficult to study, which means population data are largely inferred from habitat trends and interview surveys rather than direct counts. Where forest is cleared or hunting is unchecked, anoa disappear from accessible areas long before a range-wide extinction is recorded.

Both species carry Endangered listings. The mountain anoa may be the more threatened of the two, with higher-elevation forest also under pressure from shifting agriculture and logging, but lowland forest loss is faster and lowland anoa face the sharper immediate decline in many provinces.

## What protection requires
Effective protection means enforcing hunting restrictions in remaining forest blocks, maintaining connectivity between reserves, and securing wallow sites and water sources. Captive breeding programmes exist for both species, but release requires forest that is safe from hunting — a condition not met in most of Sulawesi.

Without reduced hunting pressure and halted forest conversion, fenced reserves and captivity become the default refuge for a mammal that evolved as a free-ranging forest buffalo. The Endangered listing describes trajectory; reversing it requires forest standing and guns absent — neither achieved across most of the island.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes free, sourced species education for Wallacea endemics that receive little coverage outside Indonesia. Anoa are the smallest wild cattle on Earth and exist only on Sulawesi, where hunting and forest conversion continue across both lowland and mountain species.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Anoa
### What is an anoa?
A dwarf forest buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Two species — lowland and mountain anoa — are the smallest wild cattle, standing roughly 90 centimetres at the shoulder.

### How big is an anoa?
Roughly 90 centimetres at the shoulder — far smaller than domestic buffalo or banteng. They are the smallest wild cattle species.

### Where do anoa live?
Only on Sulawesi in Wallacea, Indonesia. Lowland anoa occupy lowland forest; mountain anoa range at higher elevations.

### Are anoa endangered?
Yes. Both species are listed Endangered, with declining populations inferred from hunting and forest loss across Sulawesi.

### What threatens anoa?
Hunting for meat and horns, and forest conversion for agriculture, plantations and infrastructure. Both remove the intact forest and wallows anoa need.

### How is anoa related to other cattle?
Anoa are true buffalo in the genus Bubalus, related to domestic water buffalo and wild banteng, but adapted to dense Sulawesi forest at a much smaller body size.

### What do anoas eat?
Anoa are dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia — the smallest wild cattle at roughly 90 cm shoulder height — with lowland and mountain species both listed Endangered and declining through hunting and forest loss. The guide's ecology sections give the prey or forage detail behind that summary.

### Are anoas dangerous?
Anoas are not generally dangerous to people. Anoa are dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia — the smallest wild cattle at roughly 90 cm shoulder height — with lowland and mountain species both listed Endangered and declining through hunting and forest loss. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

### How long do anoas live?
A precise wild lifespan for anoas is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Anoa are dwarf buffalo endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia — the smallest wild cattle at roughly 90 cm shoulder height — with lowland and mountain species both listed Endangered and declining through hunting and forest loss. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Bubalus depressicornis](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3129/46351024)
- [IUCN Red List — Bubalus quarlesi](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3130/46351036)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/anoa