tamaraw

plural tamaraws · alternative tamarau · alternative tamarao

1. A small, dark brown, hoofed buffalo, Bubalus mindorensis, found only in Mindoro in the Philippines.

   If that person explains that a tamaraw is a bovine animal, brown in color, found in the Philippines, I can take tamaraw to designate something like my idea of a brown cow. As a matter of fact, though, tamaraw are actually more like small water buffalo.

   2010, Patricia Sheridan, Locke: A Guide for the Perplexed, page 57

   2 more examples

   The habitat requirements of the tamaraw appear to be fairly flexible, and present habitat use reflects human pressures rather than the animal's preferences. In the past, tamaraw were found in virtually all parts of Mindoro, from sea level to mountain tops.

   1983, National Research Council (U.S.) Advisory Committee on Technology Innovation, Managing Tropical Animal Resources: Little-Known Asian Animals with a Promising Economic Future, page 61

   1994, Mary Emanoil, Encyclopedia of Endangered Species, Volume 1, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, page 364, In the early 1900s, there were an estimated 10,000 tamaraws on Mindoro; because of excessive hunting and loss of habitat, the population had decreased to less than 150-200 animals by 1971.

   Synonyms: Mindoro dwarf buffalo