We visited the Tenuta Vannulo -- a family owned farm producing high end mozzarella cheese, with the most pampered buffalo one could image. The buffalo enjoy massages as pictured; have "beds" they choose for lounging (and apparently the buffalo each has her own favorite spots and times of day - you can see one in the background); have a voluntary milking that uses a robotic arm, so each can choose when she wants to be milked; and as visitors walk by, they've learned to signal when they want to be petted (and when to leave them alone). It was all pretty amazing to see. And lunch (emphasizing cheese) ending with gelato was very tasty there as well. The philosophy of the family who owns it (not the buffalo necessarily) is that happy buffalo produce better milk and lead to higher quality cheese and related products.
Here's a link to an article about the place: https://www.theitalyedit.com/tenuta-vannulo-mozzarella/
Bovine are creatures of habit and like their own places.. there is sways the leaders and the same ones that bring up the rear..and the ones that like a bit extra attention.. very intelligent animals.
Don't they have a similar look to us or a pet when we get our heads scratched. How amazing that they could be trained in those ways. Did you pet a bison?
