At wits’ end: Nik Yakob says he is now forced to carry water from the nearby river to cool his animals down. — Bernama
TANAH MERAH: The current dry spell in the state has raised concern among buffalo breeders, whose cattle often become aggressive as all their usual waterholes are drying up.
One of the affected breeders, Nik Yakob Awang Ahmad, 67, said for the time being, he had to take water from the river to be given to his two buffaloes as drinking water and to wash them twice a day.
“This is to prevent overheating and ensure their health.
“The animals are sensitive and need to wallow in water to cool down their body temperature.
“Previously, I would release the buffaloes to find waterholes to wallow in, but now all that have dried up due to the drought,” he told Bernama when met at Kampung Chawas yesterday.
According to him, without water, the animals can become depressed, uncomfortable, violent and at risk of dying.
“If I don’t fetch water, the buffaloes’ health may be affected besides other problems such as becoming enraged and may cause the animals to attack humans,” he said.
“Waterholes are essential for the animal’s health and growth,” he said, adding that he would incur losses to the tune of thousands of ringgit if the animals are not taken care of.
“Besides that, we are facing a feed shortage due to the dead grass.
“For now, I have to look for grass that grows on the edges of the river and canals,” he added.
