No, water buffalo are not killed for their horns.
Understanding Water Buffalo Horn Sourcing
It is a common misconception to associate the acquisition of water buffalo horns with the practices used to obtain elephant tusks or rhino horns. Many people mistakenly believe that water buffalo are killed solely for their horns, similar to how elephants are poached for their ivory or rhinos for their horns.
However, this is not the case for water buffalo. Unlike the illegal and often deadly methods involved in the ivory and rhino horn trade, water buffalo are not hunted or killed specifically for the purpose of harvesting their horns. Their horns are typically sourced as a byproduct of the meat and dairy industries, or from animals that have died of natural causes, ensuring that no animal is harmed solely for its horns. This crucial distinction highlights that using water buffalo horn products does not contribute to the killing of these animals for their horns.
