Buffalo Racing: A Closer Look at India’s Controversial Sport

Photographer: Manju N Gowda

Videographer: Manju N Gowda

Every year from November through March, buffalo are raced along watery tracks in coastal Karnataka, India. Yoked in pairs and whipped by a bamboo cane in 30+°C heat, they sprint for the entertainment of large, shouting crowds and for the boasting rights of their owners.

Buffalo racing, or Kambala, is a cultural tradition deeply associated with the Tulu people, who used to race buffalo through watery rice paddies as village entertainment. Like rodeo in North America, though, what was once a small-scale, community tradition has become a commercialized event, drawing huge crowds and raising the stakes for the animals at the heart of the sport.

Unlike many other forms of animal entertainment—such as horse racing or cock fighting—Kambala does not typically involve betting or big prize money. Winning brings prestige and medals. But that doesn’t mean these events prioritize animal welfare over human gains, or that owners don’t benefit in other ways. Local politicians and the Kambala committee organize races in major venues with business sponsorships, and the animals are often owned by businessmen, politicians, and other professionals.

At the December 2025 Mangalore, one of the largest Kambala races, We Animals photojournalist Manju N Gowda documented buffaloes with old scars and new wounds from the bamboo canes they are beaten with to make them run faster. Although treated relatively well during much of the year, on race day Gowda observed many buffalo being shouted at and aggressively yanked towards the starting line by ropes tied through their noses.

Over 150 buffalo pairs competed before crowds of spectators at the Mangalore races. Though the buffaloes are usually raced once a week to allow for rest and recovery, the Mangalore and Mulki Kambala races were held on consecutive days in 2025.

How Modern Kambala Races Are Run

Kambala tracks are 130 to 150 meters long, filled with mud and water to recreate paddy field conditions. Buffaloes run in yoked pairs on two parallel tracks, with the winners determined by the quickest time. Each buffalo pair is expected to cover the distance within 11 to 15 seconds.

Jockeys use a bamboo cane, called a “betha,” to whip and control the buffaloes during races. Each buffalo pair typically runs three to four times per event, with races continuing from morning through the night, and sometimes into the next day.

Gowda observed some of the buffaloes becoming difficult for handlers to control as the day grew hotter. Two or three handlers would push and shove them into position, some even hitting the animal on the body and the nose.

Before they enter the arena, the buffalo pairs are forced to walk around for the shouting crowds. Jockeys whack them and even scream in their faces, just as they do inside the track while running with the animals.

EXHAUSTED ANIMALS ON THE SECOND DAY OF RACING

On the second race day, the same animals were forced to race again. Since the second event was held in another location, the buffaloes were reloaded into vehicles, transported, and unloaded. Many had bleeding cuts, and, with temperatures reaching up to 32 degrees Celsius, the heat clearly affected them.

At the event’s vet station, every pair of buffalo was taken to get their age checked so they ran in the correct category. Buffaloes younger than three years old aren’t allowed to run. However, the vets did not appear to check the wounds or condition of the animals to deem them fit to run.

THE LEGAL STATUS OF KAMBALA​

In 2014, India’s Supreme Court banned buffalo and bull racing, including Kambala. In 2017, though, Karnataka’s government re-legalized the races based on their cultural importance. Officially known as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, the law exempts Kambala from the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, provided the sport is conducted with “no unnecessary pain or suffering” to the animals. Given what our animal photojournalist documented, it is difficult to see what pain and suffering would be deemed “necessary” or justifiable.

Although the practice was legalized in the state based on its cultural associations, in March 2026, the Indian Supreme Court dismissed a plea that would have banned Kambala outside coastal areas of Karnataka, where it has little or no cultural significance and is run mostly for commercial purposes.

The visuals captured by Gowda are part of an assignment undertaken in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) to support greater transparency in monitoring mechanisms, clearer enforcement of welfare guidelines, and independent oversight of Kambala races. 

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