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Wild
Cattle on the Edge |
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Until the
sixteenth century, 12 species of wild cattle were distributed across
Asia, Europe, Africa and North America.
Today, there remain only 10 species that are restricted to tiny,
fragmented populations in a few countries. Increasing human populations
have encroached upon wild cattle habitat and all extant species are
threatened by human activities. Hunting and illegal trade are the most
common and potentially severe threats. Unfortunately, the ecological
characteristics of these species, which typically include a slow growth
rate, delayed maturity and low fecundity, are all factors which
exacerbate the threats they face by limiting their ability to recover
from the more serious dangers posed by human exploitation.
Today,
near all species of wild cattle are
listed in the IUCN Red Data Book. The ancestor of most of the domestic
cows, the Auroch (Bos primigenus) was extinct by
1627. The Kouprey (Bos sauveli) has not been seen
in the dry dipterocarp forests of Indochina since the 1980s and is
considered extinct. The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee)
is isolated in fragmented small populations in Asia that persist at
non-viable levels. Read more...
© Miguel
Pedrono 2005 - 2009 | Disclaimer
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Vietnamnet, March 10th, 2009
Herd of gaurs discovered in Quang Tri
A herd of about ten gaurs, a rare kind of wild cattle typical of South Asia and Southeast Asia, have been discovered living on Mount Voi Mep at a height of 1,700m in Huong Hoa district in the central province of Quang Tri.
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The Phnom Penh Post, March 3rd, 2009
R'kiri game hunting park approved
Following internal debate within various government departments that has been ongoing for the last four years, the Council of Ministers approved Friday the establishment of a new protected area in Rattanakiri Province.
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Merinews, 9th January 2009
MNP's wild water buffalo census report released
ASSAM FOREST minister Rockybul Hussain released the first ever complete wild water buffalo census report of Manas National Park (MNP) along with Laokhowa and Burhachapori wildlife sanctuaries, during a function on the bank of Brahmaputra...
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