WILD CATTLE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Gaur

Several wild cattle species exist in Southeast Asia. Most live their lives hidden among the dense, but vanishing, forests of Asia,.

Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi dwell two tiny wild cattle called anoas (lowland anoa: Bubalus depressicornis, and the mountain anoa: Bubalus quarlesi); likewise on the Philippine island of Mindoro roams a small, and Critically Endangered, buffalo-like animal known as the tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis). Wild water buffalos (Bubalus arnee) still survive in India and wild yaks (Bos mutus) in Tibet. The large bovine, the gaur (Bos gaurus), makes its home across much of Central and Southeast Asia and is probably the least endangered of Asia's wild cattle species. The kouprey (Bos sauveli) was once found in a small region of Southeast Asia, but may now be extinct: an individual hasn't been seen since the 1980s. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com , January 31, 2012 /:]

But not all wild cattle news is depressing: in 1992, scientists made the remarkable discovery of a new large mammal: the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) in Vietnam. Although it looks like an antelope, the incredibly cryptic animal is actually most closely related to bovines. “In 1627, the last auroch (Bos primigenius) died in the forests of Poland. Once widespread throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia, the auroch is the ancestors of today's familiar domesticated cattle. Aurochs, however, like banteng were wild; they were bigger, denser, and fiercer than today's domesticated version like comparing Superman with duller Clark Kent. They had to take on predators from wolves to leopard to lions. They even fought gladiators in the Roman games. These uber-cattle grace some of the world's earliest cave paintings and were worshiped by some ancient cultures. But the auroch eventually met its end due to many of the same forces that today imperil the banteng: habitat loss, over-hunting, and breeding with domestic cattle. While the auroch is long gone (though some researchers hope to re-create the species through genetic research) the banteng is not. There is still time to save this wild, rainforest bovine; this cryptic, orange-colored cow; this animal who has the capacity to change our minds about the mundaneness of cattle. /:\

Deer, water buffalo, cattle, sheep, goats, yaks, antelopes, giraffes, and their relatives are ruminants---cud-chewing mammals that have a distinctive digestive system designed to obtain nutrients from large amounts of nutrient-poor grass. Ruminants evolved about 20 million years ago in North America and migrated from there to Europe and Asia and to a lesser extent South America, where they never became widespread. Antelope, cattle and guar belong to the Order Artiodactyla and the family Bovidae. Deer belong to the Order Artiodactyla, Suborder Ruminantia and Famil Cervidae.

Websites and Resources on Animals: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; BBC Earth bbcearth.com; A-Z-Animals.com a-z-animals.com; Live Science Animals livescience.com; Animal Info animalinfo.org ; World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worldwildlife.org the world’s largest independent conservation body; National Geographic National Geographic ; Endangered Animals (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) iucnredlist.org

Bovids (Antelopes, Cattle, Gazelles, Goats, Sheep)

Bovids (Bovidae) are the largest of 10 extant families within Artiodactyla, consisting of more than 140 extant and 300 extinct species. According to Animal Diversity Web: Designation of subfamilies within Bovidae has been controversial and many experts disagree about whether Bovidae is monophyletic (group of organisms that evolved from a single common ancestor) or not. [Source: Whitney Gomez; Tamatha A. Patterson; Jonathon Swinton; John Berini, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Wild bovids can be found throughout Africa, much of Europe, Asia, and North America and characteristically inhabit grasslands. Their dentition, unguligrade limb morphology, and gastrointestinal specialization likely evolved as a result of their grazing lifestyle. All bovids have four-chambered, ruminating stomachs and at least one pair of horns, which are generally present on both sexes.

While as many as 10 and as few as five subfamilies have been suggested, the intersection of molecular, morphological, and fossil evidence suggests eight distinct subfamilies: Aepycerotinae (impalas), Alcelaphinae (bonteboks, hartebeest, wildebeest, and relatives), Antilopinae (antelopes, dik-diks, gazelles, and relatives), Bovinae (bison, buffalos, cattle, and relatives), Caprinae (chamois, goats, serows, sheep, and relatives), Cephalophinae (duikers), Hippotraginae (addax, oryxes, roan antelopes, sable antelopes, and relatives), and Reduncinae (reedbucks, waterbucks, and relatives).

Kouprey

Kouprey in 1937

Kouprey (Bos sauveli) are also known as the forest ox and grey ox. First first scientifically described in 1937 and last seen in 1969, they were forest-dwelling wild bovine native to Southeast Asia that are now believed to be extinct. The name kouprey means means "forest ox" in the Khmer language. The kouprey is listed as Critically Endangered and possibly extinct on the IUCN Red List.

Kouprey once ranged from Cambodia to the Dongrak Mountains of eastern Thailand, southern Laos, and western Vietnam. There is fossil evidence that kouprey once resided in central China. It is is possible that a few individuals survive in the wilderness in eastern Cambodia.[Source: Jill Winker, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

In 1964, Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia declared the kouprey to be the national animal of Cambodia. Since then a number of search parties have been formed to look for the animal but nearly all came back empty handed except for horns from dead animals found in markets. Occasionally there are reports of sightings by locals.

Kouprey were found in open forest and savannas, often near thick monsoon forests. Their lifespan was around 20 years. They were described by Achille Urbain in 1937 based on an adult individual that was caught in northern Cambodia and was kept at the Paris Zoological Park. The first captive kouprey was caught by mistake and died of during World War II of starvation.

Anoa

Anoa, also known as dwarf buffalo and sapiutan, are two species of the genus Bubalus(buffaloes) in the subgenus Anoa that are endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia: 1) the mountain anoa (Bubalus quarlesi) and 2) the lowland anoa (Bubalus depressicornis). Both live in undisturbed rainforests and look like miniature water buffaloes, except their horns are different, and weigh 150 to 300 kilograms (330–660 pounds). [Source: Wikipedia]

Anoa are most closely related to the larger Asian buffaloes. They have the same reversal of the direction of the hair on their backs. The horns of anoa are peculiar for their upright direction and comparative straightness, although they have the same triangular section as in other buffaloes. White spots are sometimes present below the eyes and there may be white markings on the legs and back; the absence or presence of these white markings may be indicative of distinct races. The horns of the cows are very small. The nearest allies of the anoa appear to be certain extinct Asian buffaloes, the remains of which have been found in the Siwalik Hills of northern India. Imagery of anoas may be present in the oldest rock art known as of 2024.

Both species of anoa are found on the island of Sulawesi and the nearby island of Buton in Indonesia. They live singly or in pairs, rather than in herds like most cattle, except when the cows are about to give birth. Little is known about their lifespan in the wild. Captive individual have a life expectancy of 20–30 years.

Banteng

The Banteng is cowlike animal that is 1.8 to 2.3 meters long, not including its 28 centimeter tail, and weighs 400 to 900 kilograms. Native to southeastern Asia, it exists in both wild and domesticated form. Bulls are black to dark chestnut in color. Females and young are reddish brown. Both sexes have white undersides, legs and rump patches. The male’s horns angle downwards then upwards and can reach a length of 75 centimeters. The horns of the female are shorter and crescent-shaped. Wild banteng live in female-young herds with two to 40 members along with a dominant male. There are also bachelor herds. During the monsoon season banteng head to the hills, returning to the lowlands in the dry season.

Banteng

Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “The banteng is a species of wild jungle cattle found in Southeast Asia. Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: The banteng is everything domestic cattle are not: rainforest-dwelling, wild, elusive, obscure, almost mystical. Yet for all that, the banteng are cattle. They just happen to be cattle of the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, sharing their dark verdured habitat with tigers, elephants, and rhinos. Although co-existing with such exotic animals, the banteng, in appearance, could almost be mistaken for domestic cattle; they are similar in both size and general impression, but a bit different in color and pattering: males sport a black coat with white stockings and rump, while females are tan to dark brown with similar stockings and rump. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com , January 31, 2012 /:]

"Banteng are one of the few remaining species of totally wild bovids in the world," Penny Gardner, who is studying banteng in Borneo, says. "The behavior of the banteng is unique because they spend the majority of their time in dense remote forest, emerging at night and early morning to forage on grasses growing at the edge of the forest or in glades. They are incredibly elusive and rarely sighted." A PhD student at Cardiff University, Penny Gardner is currently tracking banteng in two protected areas—Tabin Wildlife Reserve and Malua BioBank—in the Malaysian state of Sabah through the Danau Girang Field Center and Sabah Wildlife Department.

Although wild banteng are found in several countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, Borneo's banteng are considered by many to be a distinct subspecies. "They are the last large mammal of Borneo to be researched and very few people worldwide have heard of them.

Gaur

Gaur are the world's largest wild cattle or wild bovines. Ranging from India through Southeast Asia, they are impressive-looking creatures with huge a muscled body and a relatively small head and have been described as looking like a "water buffalo on steroids.” They are related to the now-extinct wild ancestors of cows and cattle. Gayals are domestic versions of gaurs.

Gaurs are between 2.6 and 3.3 meters in length, stand 2.2 meters at the shoulder and weigh 700 to 1,000 kilograms and have massive buffalo-like horns up to 100 centimeters across. Both males and females have horns but the males tend to be more impressive. They start at the edge of the cranium and curve upwards. Males weigh more than many compact cars. Females are smaller.

Gaur have deep chests, thick muscles, a hump-like ridge on their back and legs that look too slim to support their large bodies. Gaur males are usually black or dark brown. Females are rust colored. The coat is short, coarse and fairly dense. The surface of their hair has a smooth, oily texture. Their legs are often white.

Tamaraws

Tamaraws (Bubalus mindorensis) are also known as Mindoro dwarf buffalos. One of the world’s most endangered animals, with at most 200 of them left in the wild, They are found only on the 9,375-square-kilometer island of Mindoro in the Philippines. Fossil evidence suggests that they may also have occupied the island of Luzon. On Mindoro, they are restricted to three game refuges covering about 200,000 hectares. The refuges were created in 1969 by the Philippine Parks and Wildlife Office. [Source: Peter Gesch, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Tamaraws was initially described independently by Heude and Steere in 1888 and 1889. Contrary to common belief and past classification, the tamaraw is not a subspecies of the water buffalo, nor is it a subspecies of the slightly larger carabao, which is classified as a subspecies of the water buffalo. There are some significant differences between carabao and tamaraw. The latter is slightly hairier, has light markings on its face, is not gregarious, and has shorter horns that are somewhat V-shaped. It is the second-largest native terrestrial mammal in the Philippines next only to the carabao.

Before 1900, tamaraws were widely distributed throughout Mindoro, inhabiting all elevations up to 2000 meters (6562 feet) and all habitat types — forests, wetlands, grasslands, riparian areas (wetlands adjacent to rivers) and bamboo thickets. Human settlement in the early 20th century led to large-scale deforestation and the conversion of forests to agricultural land. Currently, tamaraws inhabit Mindoro's abundant grasslands and secondary successional forests and can be found at 300 to 1000 meters (984 to 3281 feet) in elevation. Some researchers speculate that their preferred habitat is forest edge, providing access to forage, water, and cover.

Water Buffaloes

Water buffalo are used for plowing and other forms of labor and as a source of meat, leather and milk. They are found throughout Asia and in places like Turkey, Italy, Australia and Egypt as well. They are mostly found in places where there is a lot of rain or water because they get dehydrated very easily and need water and mud to wallow around in. The water buffalo population in the world is about 172 million, with 96 percent of them in Asia.

water buffalo

Water buffalo are called “carabao” in the Philippines and are regarded as the national animal there. In India their milk is a major source of protein. In Southeast Asia they plow rice fields. One Thai farmer said, "they're the backbone of the nation and have been very important to our way of life.”Described as the “living tractor of the East,” they have been introduced to Europe, Africa, the Americas, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii. There are 74 breeds of domestic water buffalo.

The water buffalo or domestic Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a large bovid found on the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia, in Sri Lanka, in Luzon Island in the Philippines, and in Borneo. The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) native to Southeast Asia is considered a different species but most likely represents the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo. [Source: Wikipedia +]

There are two types of water buffalo—each considered a subspecies—are based on morphological and behavioural criteria: 1) the river buffalo of the Indian subcontinent and further west to the Balkans and Italy; and 2) the swamp buffalo, found from Assam in the west through Southeast Asia to the Yangtze valley of China in the east. The origins of the domestic water buffalo types are debated, although results of a phylogenetic study indicate that the swamp type may have originated in China and domesticated about 4,000 years ago, while the river type may have originated from India and was domesticated about 5,000 years ago.

Wild Water Buffalo

Wild water buffalo are endangered and live only in a small number of protected areas stretching across India, Nepal, and Bhutan, and a wildlife reserve in Thailand. And populations are likely to diminish as they are interbred with domesticated water buffalo. [Source: National Geographic]

The wild Asian buffalo originally ranged from eastern Nepal and India, east to Vietnam, and south to Malaysia. By 1963, it had been substantially reduced numerically and eliminated from the greater part of its former range. At that time it was thought to be restricted to three zones: the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, India, the lower reaches of the Godavari River at the confluence of the borders of the states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh in India, and the Saptkosi River, Nepal, close to the border with India. As of 1990, remnant populations were thought to occur in Assam and Orissa in India, in Nepal, and in two sanctuaries in Thailand. [Source: Animalinfo.org]

Thailand's wild Asian buffalo is the largest water buffalo in the world. Wild buffalo have been observed changing tigers and Asian elephants that have backed off.In Africa similar behavior has been observed with Cape buffalo and lions and African elephants.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025