Carabao << `kahr` uh BAH oh >> is a water buffalo of the Philippine Islands. It is a little smaller than the Indian water buffalo, which often reaches a height of 6 feet (1.8 meters). The carabao is a slaty bluish-black and becomes almost hairless when old. A slow animal, it will not work in the heat of the day. But it will travel through bogs and marshes where no other large animal can pass.
The carabao is fearless in the wild state. When wounded it becomes dangerous and charges with great speed. People in the Philippines use tame carabaos to draw carts and carry loads, and to cultivate rice fields.
See also Buffalo; Water buffalo.
