Gaur Scientific Name

The Gaur (Bos gaurus) belongs to the family Bovidae, which also includes cloven-hoofed members such as bison, water buffalo, goats, sheep as well as domestic cattle. As per the IUCN, gaur is listed as a “Vulnerable” species with population estimates of 21,000 mature individuals (2016). However, due to conservation efforts, numbers are slowly stabilizing.

The species is largely confined to regions with evergreen or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests. Hence, populations can be seen in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. It also lived in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but is now extinct from those regions.

The Gaur is the largest species of wild cattle. It is also massively built, with massive horns that protrude from the convex ridge on its forehead. The species also has a large ridge on the back. Juveniles have a dark brown hide and it turns deep black in older individuals (males). Bulls reach an average height of 7 feet at the shoulders while the females reach an average height of 5 feet. Indian male Gaurs weighs an average of 840 kgs while females can average close to 700kgs.

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