Gayal

Ecology and behavior

In a wild state the gaurs live in small herds being able to count to forty individuals, nourishing grass, starts-up and fruits. They are especially the prey of the tigers and the leopards. The tigers are among rare the predatory (others that the man) with being able to kill an adult, whose weight can reach the ton.

Where they are not disturbed by the man, the gaurs carry out a life primarily Diurne, showing the most activity the morning and in end of the afternoon, and resting at the hottest hours of the day. However, where human populations disturbed their lifestyle, like other species of mammals, they became mainly night, and one seldom sees some in space discovered after 8 hours of the morning. With the Saison dries, the herds gather and resident in restricted sectors, dispersing in the hills only on arrival of the Mousson. Whereas they depend on water for drinking, they seem neither vautrer nor to even bathe. In the event of alarm they run at a surprising speed to take refuge under cover of the Jungle.

They live in herds led by an adult male, the only one which forms part of it. With most extremely of the season of the loves, isolated males wander in the search of receptive females. The engagements between males are little violent one, the size being the independent factor of predominance. When they want to be coupled, the males launch a clear and sound call which can carry to more than 1,6 kilometer.

The gaurs also emit a kind of whistle which is used to them as alarm signal, and a cry lower which points out the lowing of the cows.

The average density of the populations is approximately 0,6 animal with the square kilometer, with herds which occupy a space of approximately 80 square kilometers.

Men and gaurs

Danger to survival

UICN arranges the gaur among the species in danger. Hunting and the contamination by the epidemics which strike the cattle strongly reduced their manpower. Today, there remain approximately 20 000 wild gaurs which live dispersed and isolated the ones from the others in very limited areas. The evolution of the populations varies according to the countries: in India where the reserves increased in the years 1990, 90% of all live today the wild gaurs. On the contrary, in all the countries of the South-East Asia the situation is dramatic: all the populations are threatened there of disappearance.

Domestication

The gaurs belong to the five species of Bovins which were domesticated by the man. The domestic variety is called gayal or mithan . The gayal is definitely smaller than its wild ancestor and he is regarded as domesticated. One employs it like beast of burden or to produce meat. The gayals are employed only in the area border of Myanmar, Manipur and Nagaland; in the other fields where it is found, it is not never domesticated, and is of small number. Generally, the herds of gayals live with half savages in the Jungle and come only occasionally in the villages. In many places, however, the gayals were crossed with domestic Bovins ; these mongrels are used in other places of the India and they have them also typical qualities of the pets.

External bonds

Random links: