Vaithianathan Kannan

The Indian Bison or Gaur (Bos gaurus) is the largest species of wild cattle found in India and the largest extant bovine. There are about 13,000 to 30,000 gaurs left in the world, with approximately 85% of the population occurring in India. The Gaur has been categorised as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. It is also known as “seladang” in Malay, or Bahasa Malaysia, the largest living wild cattle species. Historically, gaur were the main prey of large carnivores and played important roles in maintaining the ecosystem by preventing vegetation overgrowth. Gaur (Bos gaurus) belongs to the family of wild oxen and is the largest living and the second heaviest among oxen native to South and Southeast Asia. Considered the largest living bovine, the body length of the gaur is usually 250-360 cms, with a height of 170-220 cms. Males may weigh between 1000 and 1500 kg, and females between 700 and 1000 kg. The Gaur (Bos gaurus) belongs to the Bovidae family, which includes cloven-hoofed animals such as bison, water buffalo, goats, sheep, and domestic cattle. These predominantly forest-dwelling bovids are found in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, as well as dry deciduous forests, but up to…read more on NOPR