Early White Settlers: Swamp Buffalo

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The early white settlers inhabited the Cobourg Peninsula where the soil there was good for growing their produce, but there were no animals to help with the heavy work. In 1826 around 80 Swamp Buffalo were brought to Melville Island and Cobourg Peninsula from Timor and Kisar. Swamp buffalo were primarily introduced to provide assistance to farmers and as a source of meat and hide for the early white settlers, as there were no other large, hooved animals that inhabited north Australia at that time. Swamp water buffalo can be characterised as they have a stockier build with short limbs and huge swept-back crescent-shaped horns. They prefer to spend most of their time coating themselves in mud and wallowing in swamps and waterholes. When the colonies