---
title: "What the sources say about the Gaur | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "55 claims from the Gaur profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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# What the sources say about the Gaur (*Bos gaurus*)

> 55 claims from the Gaur profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Gaur](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/gaur/)

## Duckworth et al. (2016). Bos gaurus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T2891A46363646.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-2.rlts.t2891a46363646.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Forests and grassy openings in scattered areas of South and Southeast Asia, from India to Peninsular Malaysia | Currently it occurs in scattered areas in the following range states: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia only), Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet Nam |
| Forests and grassy openings | the species was largely confined to evergreen, semi-evergreen, and moist deciduous forest (note: Habitat clause; grassy openings from the next quote) |
| Forests and grassy openings | in closed canopy forests areas the species appears to frequent grassy openings |
| Grasses, leaves, fruit, twigs, bark and bamboo | reportedly eating mostly young green grasses but also leaves, fruit, twigs, and bark of various woody species, as well as coarse dry grasses, and bamboo |
| Vulnerable | Red List Category & Criteria: Vulnerable A2cd+3cd+4cd ver 3.1 Year Published: 2016 (note: Status read from the as-published Red List page (Wayback copy); GBIF has no category for taxon 2891.) |
| Gaur once lived across mainland South and Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka | Gaur historically occurred throughout mainland south and southeast Asia and Sri Lanka |
| Now they survive in scattered areas of ten countries: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam | Currently it occurs in scattered areas in the following range states: Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Lao PDR, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia only), Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Viet Nam |
| They range from sea level to at least 2,800 m | The Gaur occurs from sea level up to at least 2,800 m asl |
| A gaur is both a grazer and a browser | Gaur both grazes and browses |
| It reportedly eats mostly young green grasses, plus leaves, fruit, twigs, bark and bamboo | reportedly eating mostly young green grasses but also leaves, fruit, twigs, and bark of various woody species, as well as coarse dry grasses, and bamboo |
| Captive gaur are reported to eat about 20 kg of green fodder a day | Captive Gaur are reported to eat about 20 kg of green fodder per day |
| In undisturbed areas, gaur are mainly active by day | In undisturbed areas, Gaur is mainly diurnal |
| Where human disturbance is high, they are reported to become mainly nocturnal | in areas of high human disturbance, it is reported to become mainly nocturnal |
| The IUCN rated the gaur Vulnerable in 2016 | Red List Category & Criteria: Vulnerable A2cd+3cd+4cd ver 3.1 Year Published: 2016 |
| the gaur's global distribution has shrunk by over 80% in the past 100 years | The global distribution of the Gaur has reduced by over 80% in past 100 years |
| it is now mostly limited to habitats within protected areas | Gaur is now mostly limited to habitats within protected areas |
| hunting for wild meat and for the horn trade in Southeast Asia, and habitat loss and hunting for meat in South Asia | wild meat hunting and hunting for the trade in horns in Southeast Asia, habitat loss and hunting for meat in South Asia |
| Rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, passed on by domestic cattle, are a potentially serious danger across the gaur's range | Throughout the range, diseases, particularly rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, transmitted by domestic cattle are a potentially serious threat |
| The mithun, also called the gayal, is the domesticated form of the gaur, and the IUCN treats it as a separate species, Bos frontalis | The domesticated form of Gaur, considered by IUCN a separate species ( Bos frontalis ; Mythun, Mithan or Gayal) |
| The gaur's Red List assessment leaves the domestic animal out | This animal is excluded from the red-listing considerations for Gaur |
| The IUCN estimates 15,000 to 35,000 animals worldwide | The global population is estimated to lie within 15,000-35,000 animals |
| it calls most of the population figures for the gaur little more than guesses | Most population figures given for numbers of Gaur are little more than guesses |
| The trend is decreasing | Current Population Trend: Decreasing |
| Grass, Leaves and Bark | reportedly eating mostly young green grasses but also leaves, fruit, twigs, and bark of various woody species, as well as coarse dry grasses, and bamboo |
| Night shift in disturbed areas | in areas of high human disturbance, it is reported to become mainly nocturnal |
| Disease is a potential threat too | diseases, particularly rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease, transmitted by domestic cattle are a potentially serious threat |
| Not quite | The domesticated form of Gaur, considered by IUCN a separate species |

## Ogilvie (1953). The Behaviour of Seladang (Bibos gaurus). Oryx.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605300036188

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| one warden wrote, are prepared to stand and fight a tiger rather than run | they may fear tiger, and undoubtedly there are losses from the herd on the tiger's account, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to ... stand and fight rather than run |
| Herds that, one warden wrote, stand and fight a tiger rather than run | they may fear tiger, and undoubtedly there are losses from the herd on the tiger's account, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to ... stand and fight rather than run |
| Faced with a tiger, a gaur herd may not scatter | they may fear tiger, and undoubtedly there are losses from the herd on the tiger's account, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to ... stand and fight rather than run |
| A game warden in Malaya wrote in 1953 that the gaur, which he called seladang, may fear a tiger, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to stand and fight rather than run | Seladang under normal conditions fear man ... they may fear tiger, and undoubtedly there are losses from the herd on the tiger's account, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to ... stand and fight rather than run (note: Author C. S. Ogilvie, Game Warden, Federation of Malaya (publisher page); title 'The Behaviour of Seladang (Bibos gaurus)' gives the name seladang for Bibos gaurus.) |
| the herd bunched up and moved forward toward the tiger's angry voice | moved forward five or six paces in the direction of the tiger's angry voice. In doing so they had bunched |
| Under normal conditions, he wrote, gaur fear man, and the sight or sound of one is enough to set them running | Seladang under normal conditions fear man, and either sound or sight of him is enough to set them on the run |
| wrote in 1953 | Oryx , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , November 1953 |
| Standing Up to a Tiger | they may fear tiger, and undoubtedly there are losses from the herd on the tiger's account, but they know their combined strength and are prepared to ... stand and fight rather than run |
| People get a different reaction | Seladang under normal conditions fear man, and either sound or sight of him is enough to set them on the run |
| In one encounter a game warden described, a gaur herd facing a tiger bunched up and moved forward | moved forward five or six paces in the direction of the tiger's angry voice. In doing so they had bunched |

## Ahrestani et al. (2011). Contrasting timing of parturition of chital Axis axis and gaur Bos gaurus in tropical South India - the role of body mass and seasonal forage quality. Oikos.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.20244.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| An adult female weighs about 600 kg | gaur Bos gaurus (adult female ∼ 600 kg) |
| weightKg: 600 | gaur Bos gaurus (adult female ∼ 600 kg) (note: task #1261; AnAge's 825 kg is filed under Bos frontalis, which may mix in the mithun. Both are Heavy.) |

## Ahrestani & Prins (2011). Age and sex determination of gaur Bos gaurus (Bovidae). Mammalia.

https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2010.078

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| males top out at a shoulder height of 175 cm, and females at 147 cm | maximum shoulder heights of 175 cm and 147 cm for males and females, respectively |
| Researchers measured captive gaur in zoos in India and the USA | We studied captive gaur for two years in Mysore Zoo, India and Omaha Zoo, USA |
| the more white on the horns, the older the animal | the greater the amount of white on the horns of a gaur, the older it is |
| The same study found that a gaur's horns show its age | the greater the amount of white on the horns of a gaur, the older it is |

## Kamalakkannan et al. (2020). The complete mitochondrial genome of Indian gaur, Bos gaurus and its phylogenetic implications. Scientific Reports.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68724-6

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The largest living wild cattle | The gaur is the largest extant cattle species |
| The gaur is the largest living wild cattle species | The gaur , Bos gaurus also known as “Indian bison” is the largest living wild cattle species |
| Around 85% of them live in India | Around 85% of its current global population resides in India |
| Wild Cattle, Built Big | The gaur , Bos gaurus also known as “Indian bison” is the largest living wild cattle species |

## Gad & Shyama (2009). Studies on the food and feeding habits of Gaur Bos gaurus H. Smith (Mammalia: Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in two protected areas of Goa. Journal of Threatened Taxa.

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.o1589.128-30

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In two reserves in Goa, 32 plant species made up the diet, with leaves the preferred food at 87% | Altogether, 32 species of plants belonging to 17 families constitute the gaur diet. ... with a preference for leaves (87%) |

## Lanza et al. (2000). Cloning of an Endangered Species (Bos gaurus) Using Interspecies Nuclear Transfer.

https://doi.org/10.1089/152045500436104

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Scientists once put cells from a gaur bull into emptied egg cells from domestic cows | Somatic cells from a gaur bull (Bos gaurus) ... were electrofused with enucleated oocytes from domestic cows |
| Some of the embryos grew inside surrogate cows, and two fetuses went past 180 and 200 days of gestation | 18% of these embryos developed to the fetal stage when transferred to surrogate mothers ... two continued gestation longer than 180 (ongoing) and 200 days, respectively |
| Their cell nuclei were gaur, but their mitochondrial DNA came from the cow's egg | the nuclear genome of the cloned animals was gaurus in origin ... the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) within all the tissue types evaluated was derived exclusively from the recipient bovine oocytes |

## AnAge entry for Bos frontalis (Gaur). AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Bos_frontalis

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| puts the average adult gaur at 825 kg | Life history traits (averages) ... Adult weight 825,000 g (note: AnAge files the gaur as Bos frontalis (common name Gaur; synonym Bos gaurus); 825,000 g = 825 kg.) |
| One gaur in captivity lived 26.2 years | One animal lived 26.2 years in captivity |

## Shameer et al. (2025). Ecological and temporal drivers of human-gaur conflict in Tamil Nadu, India. Discover Animals.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44338-025-00100-y

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| dangerLevel: Deadly | Livestock depredation and human deaths represented 11.66% and 8.98%, respectively. (note: task #1261; capability reading (#631): gaur conflicts in Tamil Nadu include human deaths. Hand-cached from link.springer.com via Chrome; the script fetch gets a JS shell.) |
| In Tamil Nadu's compensation records from 2016 to 2024, nearly a third of conflicts with gaur were human injuries, and about 9% were human deaths. | This was followed by human injury, which comprised 30.70% of the total incidents. Livestock depredation and human deaths represented 11.66% and 8.98%, respectively. (note: task #1261; the records are 'compensation records related to crop damage, human injury, and death across 48 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu between 2016 and 2024'; 30.70% is 'nearly a third', 8.98% 'about 9%') |