Indian Gaur

The gaur (Bos gaurus) is a large, wild ox native to Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It's the world's largest wild cattle species and one of the biggest land mammals alive. Appearance: Gaur have a broad forehead, short, thick, curved horns, and a high ridge on their foreback. Bulls are dark brown or black, while cows and young are reddish brown. Both males and females have horns and white "stockings" on their legs. Geographical Spread: While there are around 13 to 30 thousand gaurs around 85% are present in India. Found in the reserved areas of Wayanad-Mudumalai-Bandipur-Nagarhole. Prevalent in Western Ghats' evergreen and moist deciduous forests. The results have shown that the diet of gaur consisted of diverse species of plants (49 species). On an average, grass comprises a major proportion (66%), followed by browse (25%) and herb and others (5%). Due to their size and power, gaur have few natural predators besides humans. Leopards, dhole packs and large mugger crocodiles occasionally attack unguarded calves or unhealthy animals. Only tigers and saltwater crocodiles have been reported to kill adult gaur.