BANTENG
Banteng (Bos javanicus) are a species of wild jungle cattle found in Southeast Asia that exists in both wild and domesticated forms. Believed to have first been domesticated on Java, they are also now found in Bali, Burma, Borneo, Thailand, and Malaysia. Closely related to gaur (Bos gaurus) and also known as tembadau, they can be found in forests but appear to prefer more open and drier regions near dense thickets, and rely less on the presence of water than gaur. During the monsoon season, banteng herds tend to migrate to higher areas, ocuppying dense forests and bamboo jungles. [Source: Jason Saari, Animal Diversity Web (ADW)]
Banteng occur in a variety of habitats throughout their range, including open deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, lower montane forests, grasslands, and abandoned farms. The largest populations of wild banteng occur in Java, Cambodia, and possibly in Kalimantan (particularly East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan) and Thailand. Domesticated banteng occur in Bali and many eastern Indonesian islands (such as Sulawesi, Sumbawa, and Sumba), Australia, Malaysia, and New Guinea. Feral populations are found in Sabah and the Northern Territory of Australia.
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.
See Separate Article: WILD CATTLE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA factsanddetails.com
Banteng Characteristics and Subspecies
banteng range: Present range (green) and possible present range (red)
Banteng range in weight from 600 to 800 kilograms (1321.6 to 1762.1 pounds) and range in length from 1.9 to 2.25 meters (5.9 to 7.4 feet), not including their 28 centimeter (11 inch) tail.
The back of the banteng is particularly elevated in bulls due to the unusual lengths of the thoracic vertebrae, giving the impression of a hump. Horns are typically 60 to 75 centimeters (24 to 30 inches) long, and separated by thick skin at the base. Bulls have long, slender horns with sharp tips and a circular cross-section, and are smooth except for the wrinkled base. The horns of cows are short and tightly curved, pointing inward at the tips, while those of bulls arc upwards and slightly forward. The tail, measuring 65 to 70 centimeters (26 to 28 inches), ends in a black tuft. [Source: Wikipedia]
Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. Ornamentation is different. 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 are typically larger and heavier than their domesticated counterparts, but are otherwise similar in appearance. Four subspecies are generally recognised based on phenotypic differences, though some authors do not accept these: 1) Javan banteng (B. j. javanicus) in Java and possibly Bali; 2) Indochinese (or Burma) banteng (B. j. birmanicus) Lydekker, on the Southeast Asian mainland; 3) Bali cattle (B. j. domesticus), in Bali, Australia, the Philippines and New Guinea; 4) Bornean banteng, only in Borneo.
Banteng Behavior and Diet
Banteng are active during the day as well as at night, though activity at night is more in areas frequented by humans.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 are shy and reclusive, and tend to be highly alert, making approaching them difficult. Domestic individuals get stressed easily, and need to be handled with care. They rest and seek shelter for safety in dense forests. Banteng, particularly cows and calves, walk fast and manoeuvre easily through dense cover. Banteng use their strong sense of smell to detect predators such as tigers and dholes and as a means of communication within a herd. Their hearing is very acute. Vocalisations such as roars and bellows might be common during the breeding season; calves within seven months may produce soft eng sounds. High-pitched cries are used to raise alarm. [Source: Wikipedia]
Being herbivorous, banteng feed on vegetation such as grasses, sedges, shoots, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Banteng can survive without water for long stretches during droughts, but drink regularly if possible, especially from standing water. During the dry season, banteng herds move to dry valleys where their primary diet is grass. When the monsoon season arrives, the herds move to the forest highlands and bamboo jungles where their diet consists of herbaceous plants, such as bamboo.
Banteng Mating, Reproduction and Offsrping
Not much is known about the reproductive physiology of banteng, but it might be similar to that observed in taurine cattle. After a gestation of nearly 285 days (nine to ten months), a week longer than that typically observed in taurine cattle, a single calf is born. Domestic banteng can become sexually mature at as early as 13 months of age, and breed after another three months. They conceive easily, with a conception rate of 80–90% recorded in northern Australia. [Source: Wikipedia]
There is generally only one adult male in each banteng herd. That male reproduces with all adult females in the herd. Males compete for dominance of a herd and are probably not able to maintain a herd unless they are in prime condition and fully adult. [Source: Jason Saari, Animal Diversity Web (ADW)]
Banteng are capable of breeding year round while in captivity. Wild banteng limit their breeding to the months of May and June. Young banteng nurse anywhere from six to nine months and do not reach full maturity until two or three years old.
Endangered Banteng
Wild banteng are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and populations have decreased by more than 50 percent in the past few decades. In 2008, the IUCN estimated the global banteng population at 5,000–8,000 individuals. Poaching (for food, game, traditional medicine and horns), habitat loss and fragmentation and susceptibility to disease are major threats throughout the range. Most populations throughout the range are small and isolated. Banteng are legally protected in all countries in their range, and are largely restricted to protected areas. Wild populations of banteng remain only in isolated areas of Borneo and Java. Banteng have been extirpated in India, Bangladesh, and western Malaysia. Asian mainland populations have declined by 80 percent in the last 20 years. There is almost no legal trade in banteng but illegal trade in banteng horns is widespread. There are no population monitoring systems in place. Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “The threat of extinction is imminent; they are extinct from Brunei and Sarawak (Malaysia Borneo), and only occasional sightings of tracks are reported in Kalimantan (Indonesia Borneo). Sabah is the last stronghold, however the remaining forest habitat is fragmented and populations are isolated," she says. While the banteng is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, Gardner says that listing comes from a "crude population estimate conducted in the 1980s." Today, the species may be on the verge of disappearing. [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com , January 31, 2012 /:]
"In reality, [the banteng] is the second most endangered large mammal in Borneo, after the Sumatran Rhino," explains Gardner. The species, across its range, is being pummeled by deforestation and poaching. Forests across Southeast Asia are being converted into palm oil, rubber, paper and pulp plantations at record rates. Although a protected species in all of its range states, the banteng is still illegally hunted with law enforcement lacking due to a dearth of funds. Given low populations and fragmentation of habitat, Gardner says the banteng is also facing "a reduction of gene flow between populations, (probable) inbreeding, hybridization with domestic cattle and disease transmission with domestic livestock." With the number of threats extinction may appear inevitable, but the situation is not yet hopeless. /:\
Employing camera traps, Gardner has secured photos of a healthy herd in Malua BioBank, which was granted protection in 2008 largely due to its substantial population of orangutans. Given the banteng's well-known elusive personality, Gardner has depended heavily on camera traps to document the species. Camera traps, which take photos remotely of wildlife when an animal "trips" an infrared sensor, have become incredibly important to recent studies of rare tropical animals. Researchers are able to sift an incredible amount of information from photos. /:\
"In the meantime," says Gardner, "we need to ensure the perpetuity of all banteng herds, and other endangered fauna, by conserving and protecting their habitat, and by creating wildlife corridors between isolated forests. Additional steps include stemming the supply of illegal banteng meat by identifying hunting locations and supply chains, and tightening the penalties for those caught conducting this illegal activity, and increasing the awareness of this species through education and media both locally and globally." /:\
Although Gardner is focusing on the Bornean banteng, little more is known about the other subspecies on the Asian mainland and Indonesian islands. No one knows how many banteng survive in total, but it's likely not more than a few thousand. A few hundred banteng are thought to still survive in Cambodia's Mondulkiri Province; the Indonesian island of Java has four or five populations of over fifty animals each; populations in Thailand and Laos are likely very small; and no one knows about Myanmar. Almost all of these populations are declining due to similar problems: poaching and habitat loss. /:\
In a bizarre twist, the largest wild banteng population in the world is in Australia. Some 6,000 animals roam today on Australia's Cobourg Peninsula, all descended from around 20 individuals abandoned there in the late 19th Century. Technically an invasive species, Australia has had to ponder how to deal with the large endangered mammal. To date they have largely let it be give that the fish-out-of-water population is a possible safeguard against complete extinction: if little is done in Asia, Australia may be the banteng's last refuge. /:\
Studying Banteng
banteng in Java
"We use camera traps for confirming the presence of banteng, recording the times, dates and duration of their presence, identifying the number of individuals in a herd, and for monitoring breeding activity. The photographs also provide an indication of overall body condition, as well as capture unique scars and markings which allow us to recognize individuals. We create ID profiles for recognizable banteng and are able to monitor their growth, body condition, movement and herd association," explains Gardner adding that, "Collaborations with researchers studying other mammals using camera traps has provided additional photographs of banteng and, in some instances, I have been able to recognize banteng from photographs dating back years!" [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com , January 31, 2012 /:]
“The photos are becoming the foundation for the first-ever study of the Bornean banteng, including population, behavior, breeding, health, and range. Gardner and her team also examine tracks and dung. Meanwhile, a new and extremely ambitious part of the project is upcoming. "This year we aim to fit GPS-Satellite tracking devices to some individuals so we can estimate home range size, dispersal distances and use of the forest habitat; this will require thorough planning and preparation and, if successful, it will be a huge accomplishment and the turning point in our understanding of banteng's behavior in the surrounding environment landscape," says Gardner. /:\
“Once the masses of data is gathered and analyzed then comes the next step: conservation. The information from Gardner's work will eventually be used to come up with an action plan as to how best conserve the banteng in Sabah. Hopefully, the data will aid other banteng-range countries in developing additional plan to save the rainforest cattle. /:\
Sighting a Banteng
Jeremy Hance of mongabay.com wrote: “Despite the animal's scarcity and legendary shyness, Gardner has been fortunate enough during her long days of field work to run into the species—once. She says that her team was "incredibly lucky" to see a herd during July of last year, noting that "there are some people who have worked in the forest for decades and have never ever seen a banteng." [Source: Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com , January 31, 2012 /:]
"We were walking along the edge of the forest searching for Banteng tracks when we spotted the herd of approximately 15, which included young calves, juveniles, cows and one large bull," she says. "We were keen to take a closer look to see if we could identify any of the herd from the profile catalogue I’ve created [...] We approached the herd cautiously as we did not want to startle or disturb them so we kept partially hidden by the roadside shrubbery. We were positioned downwind from the herd so they could not pick up our scent however they still noticed us but [...] to my surprise they did not appear to be alarmed. The banteng were actually very curious about our presence and slowly moved towards us, stopping every few steps. Unfortunately the wind direction changed and they quickly picked up our scent and headed back into the forest. As they trotted back into the forest, we had a spectacular view of their characteristic white rump and stockings." /:\
The sighting actually convinced one of her field assistants that the banteng was in fact real and not a myth. Unlike orangutans, elephants, clouded leopards, and even Sumatran rhinos, the banteng is almost wholly unknown to the public. "I would say the vast majority of people within Sabah do not know about the banteng. Those people that have heard of them are either involved in wildlife research or protection, nature related tourism, or live near to the forest," says Gardner, adding that knowledge is likely even less abroad. "Globally speaking, the Banteng is probably only known to wild cattle specialists [...] Of the people I have spoken to, many have difficultly in believing there are wild cows (Bovidae) in the tropical jungles of Borneo and others are resolute the Banteng are not wild at all but are in fact feral cattle." /:\
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