The lake Kerkini region is home to the largest buffalo population in Greece. The water buffalo is an attractive animal that was domesticated for dairy production and is well adapted to wetland life. It was once common in Macedonia, Thrace, and Thessaly.

Population numbers dropped from 75,000 in the 50s to 600 in 1992. Apart from the Kerkini region, a small number of buffalos remain near Lake Volvi (Apollonia), the Axios River delta (Kalochori), and Lake Vistonida (Dialambi).
At the end of the 90s, a conservation program was put into effect to protect what remained of the population, and since then numbers are on the rise. An estimated 2,000 animals now roam the Greek countryside. Water buffalo from the Kerkini wetlands have been introduced into three more wetland regions (Mikri Prespa Lake, the Amvrakikos Gulf, and the Spercheio River delta).

Source of Photo: Mboras farm