Internship experience with buffalo

Clarissa Eugenia Chua (2nd year Biomedical Engineering student): My internship in observing water buffaloes offered a unique and fun experience to engage with these cute creatures in their natural habitat, Lantau Island as they were allowed to go freely there. During the start of my internship, I was introduced to new areas that are very mesmerizing, indescribable, and unforgettable. Additionally, it was also my first time seeing water buffaloes walking around freely. The buffaloes are bigger than my expectations and they are very majestic looking. Equipped with a camera recorder, I scanned the buffaloes from a safe distance. The activities I recorded were wallowing, grazing, fighting, and scratching their horns against the tree barks or plants. Whenever they were wallowing, I had to record thoroughly to find out their gender and identification. Sometimes it was impossible to identify them because they did not move, and I could not record them from another angle. My most memorable moment was when I was taking a break from doing the Pui O scan. I was sitting near the shed in that area and suddenly, a weird squeaky noise came out of nowhere. Initially, I thought it was an insect, so I ignored it. A few minutes later, 2 buffaloes came out from the forest close to the shed and 1 of them was being chased by the other. They were running to the field and making weird noises which made me realize that the noise was from the buffaloes. So, it was my first time hearing the noise and looking at them running, because they usually are calm and walking around the field.

‍

Ruhana Ruhi Islam (2nd year Architecture student): As a second-year architecture student at City University of Hong Kong, I’ve always been intrigued by the interaction between nature and human environments. This curiosity led me to an internship on Lantau Island, where I had the chance to study the fascinating behaviour of the island’s wild buffalo population. My primary role was to collect and analyze data on the buffalo’s wallowing behaviour and interactions within their environment. Each day began at 10 am, and for the next four hours, I would traverse different areas of the island, scanning and observing the buffalo in their natural habitat. The goal was to study their interactions, surroundings, and even the occasional human presence. Coming from an architectural background, I never anticipated that a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong could offer such a rich, untamed environment. Discovering that Lantau Island is home to a thriving buffalo population added an unexpected layer of interest to the project. My passion for understanding the intersection of human life and nature drew me deeper into the experience, making each day an exciting learning journey despite the challenges posed by the summer heat. Throughout the internship, I focused on documenting the buffalo's social dynamics. Surprisingly, I rarely witnessed aggressive behaviours, and any signs of conflict were minimal. Instead, the buffalos spent much of their time enjoying the wallows, sometimes in groups and sometimes in solitude. This internship was an invaluable experience that enriched my understanding of the delicate balance between nature and human existence. It fostered my curiosity and deepened my appreciation for environmental observation. I am truly grateful for this opportunity, as it taught me not only about buffalo behavior but also how human activity coexists with wildlife in unexpected urban landscapes.

‍

Clarissa Eugenia Chua and Ruhana Ruhi Islam, City University of Hong Kong

October 21, 2024