Gaur

ANIMAL:
Gaur                          Bos gaurus

Type of Animal:
Cattle

Habitat:
Grassland, hill forest, evergreen/semi-evergreen forest, deciduous forest, savanna forest, savanna, wet forest, monsoon forest, grassy clearings, jungle

Location(s):
India, S.E. Asia, Nepal, Bhutan

Appearance:
Bull dark brown-black w/ distinctive dorsal ridge, cow brown, upwardly curved horns smaller on cow, cows have much less prominent hump. Largest wild cattle species.

Food/Diet:
Grass, browse, herbs, leaves, creepers, twigs, fruit, seeds, bark, bamboo, corn, cassava, young trees

Status in Wild:
Threatened

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos, wildlife parks, & breeding centers. Domesticated gaur called gayal or mithun are raised for meat.

Lifestyle:
Cows & calves live in herds of 8-10, accompanied by a bull. Other bulls live in separate bachelor herds.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male-Bull
Female-Cow
Young-Calf
Group-Herd

Weight:
Male-2,200-3,300 lbs
Female-1,500-2,200 lbs
Young-900 lbs

Gestation: 
8.5-9 months

Height:
Male-5.11-6.28 ft
Female-5-6.2 ft

Body Length:
Male-10 ft
Female-8 ft

Life Span: 
20 years in wild, up to 30 years in captivity

Tail Length:
Male-3 ft
Female-2.98 ft

Main predators of adults are tigers, crocodiles, & dholes. Leopards prey on calves.

Fights between bulls fierce, sometimes resulting in death.

Threatened due to logging/deforestation, habitat loss, hunting for meat/horns/sport, diseases transmitted by domestic cattle, & hybridization w/ domestic cattle.

They’ve been known to gore predators to death w/ their sharp horns.

Sexually mature at 2 years old.

Bulls make roaring call during rut that carries on for more than 1 mile.

They make whistling snort as an alarm call.

Sometimes called the Asian Bison.

Fun Fact(s):
Famous drink “Red Bull” based on Thai drink “Gratin Daang” meaning “red gaur.”

They’ve been known to produce fertile hybrids w/ Banteng (another wild cattle species).

A gaur was cloned in 2001 but calf died of dysentery 2 days layer.

Known as seladang in Malaysia & pyoung in Burma.

Known to be extremely dangerous & unpredictable, especially cows w/ calves & bulls in breeding season (rut).

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