This species of wild cattle possesses many valuable traits and is considered a rare genetic resource that needs to be preserved.
Discovery of a Rare Wild Cattle Species
According to the People’s Police Newspaper, from 2009 to early 2015 in the village of Bạc Rây 2 (Phước Bình commune, Bác Ái district, Ninh Thuận province), which is a buffer zone of Phước Bình National Park, a male wild cattle was frequently spotted during the rainy season from June to September. It would join the domesticated cattle of local farmers and forage together in the grass fields near the forest. This male cattle was approximately 1.7 meters tall, over 2 meters long, and weighed around 1 ton.
The wild male cattle joining the herd of local farmers is identified as a Southeast Asian wild cattle. (Image: VTC News)
The body of the cattle is black, with prominent muscle structure, and its four legs are white. Unlike domesticated cattle, it lacks a hump on its back and has a pronounced muscle ridge running along its spine. It has a pair of large, curved horns, with sharp tips that point forward. Some believed it to be a water buffalo, while others insisted it was a wild cattle. Later, forestry officials confirmed its identity as wild cattle.
Southeast Asian wild cattle is a species with many rare traits. (Image: Pixabay).
According to a report from a research team, this male wild cattle belongs to the Southeast Asian wild cattle (Bos gaurus) species, known for its aggression, ranking second in aggression only to tigers. Wild cattle are ready to attack if they detect the presence of hunters. They always resist until the end when they feel threatened. As a large and fierce animal, wild cattle have almost no natural predators. In the grasslands of Bạc Rây, the male wild cattle has become the dominant ruler, mating with the local domesticated cows.
Interesting Facts About Southeast Asian Wild Cattle
This type of cattle is also known as Malayan wild cattle or Indian bison. In reality, they are not closely related to the bison species found in Europe and North America.
In Vietnam, the Southeast Asian wild cattle are referred to as ‘min’ by ethnic minorities. (Image: Pixabay).
According to VTV, in Vietnam, Southeast Asian wild cattle are called ‘min’ by ethnic minorities, meaning wild buffalo, due to their similar appearance to buffalo. Viewed from the front, they resemble buffalo, and from the back, they look like cattle. Wild cattle live in herds of 2 to 10 individuals. Older males often live alone or form small groups.
Their short, soft fur is dark brown or blackish-gray with a slight bluish sheen on the back. The belly fur is longer and light brown. Females typically have a reddish-brown color. They have long, black tails.
From the front, they look like buffalo, and from the back, they look like cattle. (Image: Pixabay).
Wild cattle prefer to eat young leaves, bamboo shoots, and newly grown grass in fields or areas adjacent to forests. Southeast Asian wild cattle are recognized by zoologists worldwide as one of the largest wild cattle species in the world. An adult male can be over 2 meters tall and weigh up to 2 tons, larger than both Asian water buffalo and North American bison. With this size, wild cattle rank as the third tallest terrestrial animal, only behind giraffes and elephants. They are the fifth heaviest land animal, following elephants, white rhinoceroses, Indian rhinoceroses, and hippopotamuses.
Southeast Asian wild cattle typically breed in June and July. They give birth once a year, with each pregnancy lasting about 270 days. Their habitat includes evergreen rainforests, dry dipterocarp forests, bamboo mixed forests, and secondary forests located at altitudes of 500 to 1500 meters above sea level.
Southeast Asian wild cattle are recognized as one of the largest wild cattle species in the world. (Image: Pixabay).
Southeast Asian wild cattle possess many valuable traits such as large size and good resilience to harsh climatic conditions, making them a rare genetic resource that needs to be preserved and can be developed for breeding purposes.
They have been listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated to be a maximum of 21,000 mature individuals in 2016. Their numbers have decreased by more than 70% over the last three generations and they may have gone extinct in Sri Lanka and possibly in Bangladesh. In well-protected areas, their numbers are stable and increasing.
They have been listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List since 1986. (Image: Pixabay).
Currently, there are only about 300 wild cattle left in Vietnam, mainly distributed in Mường Nhé National Park (Điện Biên), the Central Highlands, Chư Mom Rây National Park (Kon Tum), and Cát Tiên National Park (Lâm Đồng), as well as Phú Bài Airport (Huế). However, these wild cattle populations are at high risk of extinction due to deforestation and poaching of rare animals.
The decreasing number of this wild cattle species is primarily due to two main reasons:
- Firstly, deforestation is shrinking their habitat.
- Secondly, poaching for wild cattle bile.
This species of wild cattle is facing a high risk of extinction due to poaching for bile. (Image: VTC News).
According to VTC News, it is rumored that wild cattle bile can help: improve vitality, strengthen bones, enhance energy, boost male sexual health, and assist in curing many chronic diseases… Wild cattle bile is also believed to have higher medicinal properties than that of king cobra bile or bear bile. However, experts have proven that wild cattle bile is no different from buffalo or cow bile.
Moreover, in the human body, bile is secreted in small amounts just enough to aid in the digestion of daily food. If an excess of bile, regardless of the source, is introduced into the body, it poses a risk of poisoning. Additionally, consuming bile from sick animals (infected, with typhoid, or diseases caused by the Fasciola gigantica parasite in the liver and bile ducts) is even more dangerous.
