Manda

These buffaloes are found in whole Koraput district and adjoining parts of Malkangiri and Nawarangpur district in Orissa, spread over an area of around 10,000 sq. km. Body colour of these buffaloes is ash grey and grey with copper coloured hairs. Some animals are silver white in colour. The lower part of the legs up to elbow is light colour with tuft of yellowish/copper coloured hairs at knee and fetlock. Horns are broad and emerge slightly laterally, extending backward and inward making half circles. Jaws and nostrils are wide and prominent. Manda buffalo comes to heat at around 40 months and drops its first calf at around 51 months of age. Average calving interval of these buffaloes is 18 months with gestation period of 307 days. These buffaloes are moderate milk yielders having lactation milk yield of around 700 lt. in a lactation length of 290 days. These animals are famous for longevity, hard work and length of working life. Female Manda buffaloes at some places are used in agricultural operations along with buffalo bullocks (Dash et al, 2009).