What does anoa mean?
The anoa is any of two species of very small wild cattle belonging to the genus Bubalus and found only in Indonesia, primarily on the island of Sulawesi and some neighbouring islands such as Buton. The lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis) inhabits forests and marshes at lower elevations, while the mountain anoa (Bubalus quarlesi) lives in higher, more mountainous forest. Both stand roughly a metre or less at the shoulder, making the anoa the smallest known wild cattle in the world. Dark brown to blackish in colour, with short, straight horns, anoas are typically solitary or found in pairs, feeding on leaves, grasses, and fruit. Because both species are classified as endangered by the IUCN, owing to habitat loss and hunting, the word anoa appears most often in conservation writing and zoological reference works rather than everyday conversation.
nounA small, dark brown wild cattle (genus Bubalus) native to the island of Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia; there are two species, the lowland anoa and the mountain anoa.
- Either of two small species of wild cattle of the genus Bubalus endemic to Sulawesi and nearby Indonesian islands (the lowland anoa, Bubalus depressicornis, and the mountain anoa, Bubalus quarlesi).
"The lowland anoa, the smallest living wild cattle, is found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi."
"Conservationists are working to protect the remaining lowland anoa populations from hunting and habitat loss."
"Standing barely a metre at the shoulder, the mountain anoa is even smaller than its lowland relative."
Both 'anoas' and the unmarked 'anoa' are accepted plurals; 'anoas' predominates in general prose, while 'anoa' is common in scientific writing where animals are counted individually.
"Camera traps recorded several anoas crossing the forest trail at dusk."
The anoa is the world's smallest wild cattle — a shy, forest-dwelling dwarf buffalo that exists nowhere on Earth except a few Indonesian islands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anoa
The word 'anoa' entered English through European naturalists' writings about the fauna of the East Indies, borrowed from the indigenous name for the animal used in the region of Sulawesi (formerly the Celebes), transmitted via Malay/Indonesian usage. It has been in scientific and general English use since at least the nineteenth century, when Dutch and British naturalists first described these dwarf buffalo for Western audiences. As a borrowing of a local animal name, it has no true cognates among common English words.
How anoa is actually used
The word is used almost exclusively in zoological, conservation, and natural-history contexts. It refers to either of two closely related species, so writers often specify 'lowland anoa' or 'mountain anoa'. Both plural forms 'anoas' and 'anoa' are accepted, though 'anoas' is more common in general English prose.