Since the buffalo was introduced to Australia almost 200 years ago, its relationship with the land has been complicated.
The British imported small herds from Asia in the early 19th century as a source of food.
However, when settlers abandoned their northern settlement on the Cobourg Peninsula in 1849, these herds were released into the wild.
The springs are especially susceptible due to lack of water flow. (Provided by: David Hancock)
The colony was the third failed attempt to colonize the Top End of the Northern Territory, where the British hoped to gain control of Dutch trade routes.
Disease, malnutrition and cyclones made it too difficult.
Although the harsh conditions were too much for the settlers, the rugged savannahs and wetlands of the land of Arnhem, with similar climates to Timor and Indonesia, proved perfect for the buffalo.
An estimated wild population of about 200,000 people can now be found throughout the northernmost half of the Northern Territory.
The vast northwestern wetlands of the land of Arnhem are a perfect habitat for buffalo. (Provided by: David Hancock)
New beginnings in an ancient land
For photographer David Hancock, his connection to the wild buffalo of northern Australia began in the 1970s, during the push of the livestock industry toward a lively export trade.
He was documenting a national program to eliminate both tuberculosis and brucellosis from cattle, where buffalo removal was used to stop the spread of the disease to domesticated cattle.
It took him on a 30-year journey documenting the species in the Top End, which has been published in a book called Nganabbarru, the word Bininj-Kunwok for buffalo.
“I was pretty tired of working in the south, it was very boring,” Hancock said.
“It was very good to go up and out of the woods: I had some friends who had the reunioners as friends and they had helicopter pilots as friends.
“As it turned out, they were really looking forward to having a photographer at those meetings, because there were so many things going on that they couldn’t photograph.”
The Arafura Swamp is one of the largest paper bark swamps in Australia, and is under threat from wild buffalo. (Provided by: David Hancock)
The decades-long photographic project has taken him to some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the country.
“I just confirmed my love and appreciation for the floodplains of Top End,” he said.
“They are a fragile and beautiful environment, and they are at risk of any kind of savage invasion.”
“The only area that really worries me the most is the Arafura Swamp – this is one of the largest paper crust swamps in Australia.
“It’s the most amazing place, and buffaloes have come in. They’re probably still in one of Australia’s most pristine environments and it would be a shame to see it. [be damaged]. “
To capture buffalo, gatherers use vehicles with large metal claws on the outside. (Provided by: David Hancock)
Importance reflected in rock art
After its liberation from the abandoned British colonies, the buffalo buffalo became a formidable enemy for the various First Nations groups at the far end.
The importance of the first contact with the great beasts is reflected in the cave art paintings of Djabidjbakalloi, where life-size images of buffaloes appear along with images of ships, horses and weapons, places that Mr. Hancock was able to take pictures thanks to Warddeken’s IPA rangers.
“You have to remember that Aboriginal people are the most affected by buffalo,” he said.
“When they arrived here in the early and mid-1800s, there had been no large animals in northern Australia since the megafauna, which was 50,000 years earlier.
“And these were people who had no weapons, and they only had to deal with these big animals.
Keith Nadjamerrek examines a 5 meter drawing of a buffalo at Djabidjbakalloi near Gunbalanya. (Provided by: David Hancock)
“In many ways, buffalo has become part of its traditions and mythology. Particularly in this rock country west of Arnhem Land you can see many drawings of Buffalo.
“These animals must have made a big impression on people from the beginning.”
Gathering of a herd of domestic buffalo at Swim Creek. (Provided by: David Hancock)
A convincing animal
As herds of buffalo spread more throughout the land of Arnhem, the aborigines were at the forefront of turning the environmental disaster into an economic opportunity.
Tom Dawkins, executive director of the NT Buffalo Industry Council, said the buffalo fur industry that began in the 1880s was the result of different Aboriginal groups taking advantage of the opportunity to generate animal income. which were not the property of the shepherds.
“David claims the buffaloes were seen as nobody’s property,” he said.
“While sheep or cattle were always seen as someone’s property, you wanted to be very careful in chasing the cattle like that, but buffaloes were considered more accessible in that regard.
“That was a big part of the story, and what attracted a lot of Aborigines to work with them. And there are some extraordinary stories about the races that were cut.”
Rangers from remote communities can supply residents with fresh meat after disposal. (Provided by: David Hancock)
Similar circumstances prevail today, with buffalo producers seeing rising beef prices and rising numbers of wild buffalo as a huge opportunity to supply a growing Asian market for cheap protein and mitigate its impact. environmental.
Darwin photographer David Hancock. (Provided by: David Hancock)
“I think that, in all respects, it is a very convincing proposal, because we have these market imperatives, export revenue for the Territory, food security for our neighbors,” he said.
“But we are also talking about doing it in a way that provides employment, economic activity and dividends for traditional landlords.
“In a way that represents sustainable land management and offsetting the environmental damage of excess stocks. It’s a very attractive industry.”
Dawkins said the removal of wild populations should be used as an absolute last resort, given the growing profitability of the live export market.
“We are very concerned about the dangers of wild dogs and feral pigs with waste outbreak programs, which exacerbate these problems,” he said.
“The challenge for our industry is to continue working with the government, traditional landowners, the Northern Lands Council and all stakeholders to make sure that waste is only a last resort and that we have created every opportunity. to find an economic solution there, before resorting to this kind of measure, which seems terribly obsolete and unacceptable. “
Some experts estimate that there are about 200,000 wild buffaloes in the Northern Territory. (Provided by: David Hancock)
Like Mr. Dawkins and other farmers who work closely with buffaloes, photographer David Hancock holds creatures in high esteem, despite his impact on what he describes as one of the most magnificent landscapes in the world.
“In a domesticated situation as demonstrated in Asia, buffaloes live with families,” he said.
“They’re part of the family, so domesticated buffalo can be a pretty friendly animal.”
Among British settlers, Aboriginal hunters, photographers and farmers, the complex mythology of these destructive but mild beasts lingers in the Territory.
Posted 18 hours ago 18 hours, Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 8:33 PM, updated 7 hours, 7 hours ago, Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 8:07 AM