Unique largest cow species in the world in Vietnam: Weighs up to 2 tons, carries rare genes

This breed of cattle has many valuable characteristics and is considered a rare genetic resource that needs to be preserved.

Rare species of gaur discovered

According to the People's Police Newspaper, from 2009 to early 2015 in Bac Ray 2 village (Phuoc Binh commune, Bac Ai district, Ninh Thuan province), a buffer zone of Phuoc Binh national park, there was a bull that regularly appeared during the rainy season from June to September, joining the farmers' herd and foraging together on the grasslands along the forest. This bull was about 1.7m tall, more than 2m long, and weighed about 1 ton.

The wild bull that entered the local herd was identified as a Southeast Asian gaur. (Photo: VTC News)

The cow's body was black, each muscle mass stood out, its four legs were white, it did not have a hump on its back like a domestic cow but had a ridge of muscle running along its back . It had a pair of large, curved horns, with sharp horn tips extending forward. Some people thought it was a wild buffalo, others said it must be a wild cow. Later, the forest rangers came to observe and identify it, and it was definitely a gaur.

The Southeast Asian gaur is a species of cattle with many rare characteristics. (Photo: Pixabay).

According to the report of the research team, this male gaur belongs to the Southeast Asian gaur group (Bos gaurus) , which is very aggressive. Its aggressiveness is second only to that of tigers. The gaur is ready to attack if it discovers the hunter's hiding place. They always fight back to the end when they feel threatened. As a ferocious animal with a giant body, the gaur has almost no natural enemies. In the grasslands of Bac Ray, the male gaur becomes the master and conquers the herd of female domestic cows.

Interesting facts about Southeast Asian gaurs

This type of cattle is also known as the Malayan bison or Indian bison , in fact, they are not closely related to the bison in Europe and North America.

In Vietnam, the Southeast Asian gaur is called con min by ethnic minorities. (Photo: Pixabay).

According to VTV, in Vietnam, Southeast Asian gaurs are called con min by ethnic minorities, meaning wild buffalo , because of their similar appearance to buffaloes. From the front, they look like buffaloes and from the back, they look like cows. Gaurs live in herds of 2 to 10 individuals. Old bulls often live alone or together in small groups.

The coat is short, smooth, dark brown or grayish-black with a bluish sheen on the back. The belly is long and light brown. Females are usually reddish-brown. The tail is long and black.

This species of gaur looks like a buffalo from the front and like a cow from the back. (Photo: Pixabay).

The gaur likes to eat young leaves, young bamboo shoots, and new grass growing in fields or areas bordering forests. The Southeast Asian gaur is recognized by zoologist experts around the world as the largest wild bison species in the world. An adult bull can be over 2 meters tall and weigh up to 2 tons, larger than the Asian buffalo and the North American bison. With this size, the gaur is the third largest animal in terms of height, after the giraffe and the elephant. They are the fifth largest land animal in terms of body weight: after the elephant, the white rhinoceros, the Indian rhinoceros and the hippopotamus.

Southeast Asian gaurs usually breed in June and July. They give birth to one litter per year, one calf per litter. The gestation period of a gaur is about 270 days, and they give birth to one litter per year, one calf per litter. The habitat of gaurs is old-growth evergreen forests, dipterocarp forests, mixed bamboo forests, and secondary forests with relatively flat terrain at an altitude of 500 - 1500m above sea level.

The Southeast Asian gaur is recognized by zoologist experts around the world as the largest species of wild buffalo in the world. (Photo: Pixabay).

Southeast Asian gaurs have many valuable characteristics such as large stature, good resistance to harsh climate conditions ., and are considered a rare genetic resource that needs to be preserved and can be developed for breeding.

They have been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated to be a maximum of 21,000 mature individuals in 2016. They have declined by more than 70% in the last three generations and are probably extinct in Sri Lanka and possibly Bangladesh. In well-protected areas, their numbers are stable and increasing.

They have been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. (Photo: Pixabay).

Currently, in Vietnam there are only about 300 gaurs left, distributed mainly in Muong Nhe National Park (Dien Bien), the Central Highlands mountainous areas, Chu Mom Ray National Park (Kon Tum) and Cat Tien National Park (Lam Dong), Phu Bai Airport (Hue). However, these gaur herds are facing a high risk of extinction due to deforestation and poaching of precious animals.

The number of this species of bull is decreasing due to two main reasons:

1. Firstly , deforestation causes their habitat to shrink.
2. Second , hunting for bull gall bladders.

This species of gaur is facing a high risk of extinction due to poaching for its gallbladder. (Photo: VTC News).

According to VTC News, many people rumor that bull bile can help: strengthen yang, strengthen tendons and bones, replenish energy, good for men's physiology and support the treatment of many incurable diseases. Bull bile is also said to have higher medicinal properties than king cobra bile or bear bile. However, in reality, experts have proven that bull bile is no different from buffalo or cow bile.

Furthermore, in the human body, bile is only secreted in a small amount, just enough to help digest daily food. If an amount of bile, regardless of the animal, is taken into the body higher than normal, there is a risk of poisoning. Not to mention that if you drink bile from a sick animal (infection, typhoid, disease caused by the Fasciola gigantica fluke parasitizing the liver and bile ducts), it is even more dangerous.