Feature Article Wild in Grave Peril The shy gaur is under grave threat. The largest gregarious wild cattle found in Asia, with the largest population left in India, demands long-term conservation strategy.

M. ASHOKKUMAR, R. NAGARAJAN & AJAY A. DESAI

habitat to grassland and spreading the occurring in India and Nepal; propagules of numerous plants. They gaurus readi in Indochina, and Bos gaurus are also important prey species for the hubbacki in Malaysia. endangered flagship species tiger. In India the gaur is isolated into Gaur belongs to the group of wild three disjunct regions, viz., South oxen. These include the Asiatic buffalo, Western India, Central India and North , cattle and . The Eastern India. Gaur occurs from sea ancestors of the gaur evolved from level up to at least 2800 m MSL. Its Asia some 20 million years ago. habitat is characterized by large, Among the three species of genus Bos, relatively undisturbed forest tracts and AUR (Bos gaurus Lambert, the (Bos sauveli) is found in hilly terrain, which provides water and 1804), also called Indian Cambodia, the in Java, Borneo, an abundance of forage in the form of bison, belongs to the sub- Malaya and parts of Indochina and the coarse grasses (including bamboo), family bovinae (cloven- gaur from Malaya to India. The shrubs and trees. The preference for Ghoofed ) of the order domestic cattle (Bos taurus and Bos hilly terrain by the gaur is due to the Cetartiodactyla (includes whales and indicus) and the (Bos grunniens) also conversion of most of the plains and even toads ). It is the largest belong to this genus Bos. other low-lying areas to croplands and living bovine confined to the oriental Gaur historically occurred pastures. biogeographic region. India supports throughout the mainlands of south and Gaur is the tallest living oxen and 85% of its current global population. Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. Now the the second heaviest. The gaur India has already lost one large gaur is distributed in South and South weighs 600-1000 kg and stands 1.6 to bovid, the Banteng (Bos banteng), which East Asia from India to peninsular 1.9 m of shoulder height whereas cows was once known to occur in North East Malaysia, occurring in India, Nepal, are about 10 cm shorter than the bull India. Gaur is yet another rapidly Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and weigh about 450 to 800 kg. Both declining species. It plays an important Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia, sexes have horns, those of the males role by modifying its habitat by way Vietnam and Malaysia. There are three are especially larger at the base with of resetting succession of a forest subspecies of gaur: Bos gaurus gaurus more outward swath and less curving

Vernacular names Order : Cetartiodactyla Synonyms: Hindi - Gaur, Gaur gai Family : Bos asseel Horsfield, 1851 Mar - Gaviya, Gawa Sub-family : Bovinae Bos cavifrons Hodgson, 1837 Kan - Kadu yethu; kartee Tribe : Bos gaur Sundevall, 1846 Tam - Kattu erumai Genus : Bos Bos gaurus Lydekker, 1907 Mal - Katu poth Species : Bos gaurus Bos gour Hardwicke, 1827 Bur - Peeoung Common name : Gaur Bos subhemachalus Hodgson, 1837 SCIENCE REPORTER, November 2010 33 Feature Article Gaur is the largest gregarious wild cattle found in Asia. India holds the greatest proportion of gaur population, with a network of protected areas located in three distinct locations. It is shy and avoids human use areas. at the tip. Adult males have surprised, the moo call is pronounced muscular crest between given when they come out shoulders and a large dewlap hanging to feed in the open, the between the forelegs and smaller one during rut give out a high under the chin. pitched and far carrying The adult bulls have shiny black, whistle-like call. short-haired pelage, except for white In undisturbed areas stockings, a gray boss between the the gaur is mainly diurnal horns. Young bulls are dark brown like (active during day) but in the cows. The pelage of cow is dark areas of high human brown in colour and the horns are disturbance, it is reported to slenderer, more upright and with a become mainly nocturnal more inward curved than those of (active during night). bulls. Juveniles are brownish with Activity pattern of gaur spike . Young weigh about shows a bimodal diurnal 43 kg, have a light brown coat and lack activity pattern in feeding the conspicuous white stockings, which with peaks in the morning do not appear until they change into a and evening hours. The dark brown pelage at the age of about movement of is three months. also higher during the early morning and late evening Behaviour hours. Resting is highest The home range size (area of during the afternoon hours. utilization by animals in their annual The animals are observed to movement) varies from 7 km2 to 137 lie in the cover during the km2. Factors such as seasonal changes hottest period of the day and in vegetation composition, availability rumination mostly occurs of water, gaur group size, and rutting during this period. behaviour influence the ranging Rutting, flehmen (up behaviour. curled lip movement), The gaur is a gregarious . tending and mounting are The group structure is very fluid and some of sexual behaviour dynamic. observed in gaur bulls. The Three different associations are mating season of gaur observed i.e. the solitary males, bull varies in Central India groups and mixed herds. Solitary (December to January) and individuals are mostly adult males and South India (November to they form bachelor herds. Gaur bull March) according to group exhibits less cohesion and seasonal variation in the frequently disperse. The mixed group rainfall. The gestation size ranges from 1 to 47 and consists of period of gaur is nine adult females, sub-adults and young months and litter size is one. ones. Females generally lead a group. The gaur has adapted to Licking each other is a social both browsing and grazing gesture. The number of bulls in a herd modes of foraging. When changes according to the breeding high grass is available the period. Mature males associate with grass appears to be a major cows during the rut (breeding period). part of its diet. Gaur feeds exhibit different vocalizations on a variety of plants. The From top: Banteng (Distributed in India in the past but now extinct in India); advertising their mood and varied food species Adult male gaur showing black colour coat and musculature; temperament. They snort and give selection has enabled the Adult female gaur with brown body colour and converged horn; phoo/pffhong calls when alarmed or gaur to colonize a wide A gaur mixed herd with adult female, juvenile and calves. 34 SCIENCE REPORTER, November 2010 Feature Article

conservation of gaur even in protected areas. Epidemic diseases such as Rinderpest are also a widespread cause of death in gaur. The disease has been reported in this species from Southern and Central India. Gaur has also been reported to die from foot-and-mouth disease and anthrax. One of the major limitations is lack of information regarding the population, habitat requirements and population dynamics in most protected areas apart from the failure to use existing information in conservation planning. Ex situ conservation programmes are implemented for gaur in the US and Europe. However, these captive populations are too small and dangerously inbred. In 2001, a gaur was cloned in the US but it died within a couple of days. Fires in dry deciduous forests during summer destroy the gaur habitat (top); Gaur is the largest gregarious wild Cattle are potential competitors for wild gaur and sources of diseases to wild ungulates (above). cattle found in Asia. India holds the range of vegetation types from dry threat to gaur conservation in Asia. greatest proportion of gaur population, thorn forest to wet evergreen forest. It Habitat degradation and with a network of protected areas has been observed to feed on 155 fragmentation affects gaur population located in three distinct locations. It is species of plants belonging to 38 in two ways: a) Physical disturbance shy and avoids human use areas. families in tropical dry deciduous caused by people such as woodcutting Species-specific studies and forests. and forest fire and b) Loss of food management intervention are required availability due to extensive cattle for the long-term conservation of Threats & Conservation grazing. species. The red list of threatened species Gaur habitats have become categorizes gaur as a vulnerable fragmented throughout the ranges. species. Today they are in 11 range Even within this fragmented gaur states with the estimated population range only a small portion is actually Dr M. Ashokkumar is a Senior Research Scholar being around 13,000 to 30,000 with protected. Therefore, the actual range at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced approximately 85% of population being of gaur may include protected areas Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore-560064. present in India. India thus has the best and adjoining non-protected areas. It Dr. R. Nagarajan is Assistant Professor in the PG and Research Department of Zoology and Wildlife chance for long-term conservation of is important to identify these areas for Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), this species. The gaur is listed in CITES better management. Most gaur range Mannampandal–609305, Mayiladuthurai. countries are developing countries Appendix-I, which bans all Dr Ajay A. Desai is a Wildlife Biologist specializing international trade of gaur products. It with limited financial resources to in Asian elephants through studies on behaviour, is protected under Schedule I of commit to conservation, so funds ecology and conservation projects in Asian elephant Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 of India. remain a major constraint in gaur range countries. He is Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Habitat loss has been largely conservation. Asian Elephant Specialist Group and Steering responsible for the large-scale decline Poaching of gaur for and Committee member of Project Elephant of the gaur range and it remains a major trophies is another serious threat in (Government of India). SCIENCE REPORTER, November 2010 35