It’s strong, It’s the symbol of strength, It’s the wild gaur.
Wild Gaur (Bos gaurus) is an artiodactyl member of the family Bovidae, subfamily Bovinae, and it is native to South and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, you may have a chance to witness the wild gaur herds at Cat Tien National Park, Phước Bình National Park (Ninh Thuận), and other provinces such as Lai Chau, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Kontum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, even though the sightings are relatively rare [1].
APPEARANCE
Wild gaurs are characterized by a heavily built body with a shoulder height of 1.8m and a weight up to 1,000 kg and 1,500 kg for female and male adults, respectively. Wild gaurs have outstandingly white stockings in their limbs. They also possess a prominent distinct ridge that runs from the shoulders to the middle of the back. The gaurs also have a pair of horns that are flattened at the base and curved upwards. The base is yellow while the tip is usually black. They have a large dewlap that spans from the throat to the upper forelimbs. For the colouration, the male adults are glossy black whereas the female counterparts and calves are reddish brown. If the offspring are males, their coat will turn dark black when they reach maturity.
HABITAT
Wild Gaurs are found to roam evergreen forests, moist or dry deciduous forests [2]. They tend to appear in herds of about 8-11 or even up to 30 individuals.
DIET
As gaurs are herbivorous, they primarily feed on leaves, fruits, twigs, seeds, stems, and so on.
SUBSPECIES
Up to now, 3 subspecies of the wild gaur have been acknowledged, including [2]:
- Indochinese wild gaur (Bos gaurus laosiensis) – distributed in Myanmar, China, Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam.
- Seladang/Malayan wild gaur (Bos gaurus hubbacki) – distributed in Thailand, Malaysia.
- Indian bison/Indian wild gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus) – distributed in India.
THREATS
Currently, wild gaurs are victims of habitat loss, deforestation, agricultural conversion, conflict with farmers, and illegal hunting for body parts and meats. The total population is estimated to be around 6,000 – 21,000. The IUCN classified them as Vulnerable (VUL) with a decreasing trend of the total population [2].
FUN FACTS
- Wild gaur figures also appear in the Red Bull logo, the famous energy drink that you enjoy! The Red Bull’s origins lie in Thailand with the name “Krating Daeng,” or “Red Gaur”.
- Wild Gaur is called “K’vây” by the Ra Giai people, meaning “A giant and fierce animal” [3].
REFERENCES
- Mai, Nguyen & Diem, Ngo & Tung, Ha & Long, Le. (2023). The genetic relationship of Vietnamese gaurs assessed by mtDNA sequences. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies. 11. 07-12. 10.22271/j.ento.2023.v11.i1a.9130.
- Duckworth, J.W., Sankar, K., Williams, A.C., Samba Kumar, N. & Timmins, R.J. 2016. Bos gaurus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T2891A46363646. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T2891A46363646.en. Accessed on 01 April 2025.
- Bò tót, biểu tượng của sức mạnh, sự cường tráng và sung túc. Cat Tien National Park.
LE QUANG