Indian Bison

Gaur commonly known as Indian Bison is the majorly spotted species in India. This species with the zoological name Bos gaurus falls under the genus Bos.

The classification is as below,

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Artiodactyla
Family	Bovidae
Genus	Bos
Species	B.gaurus

Gaur has a body length of about 250 to 330 cms with a shoulder height of 165 to 220 cm, and length of the tail is about 70 to 105 cms. Males weighs about 1,000 – 1,500 kilograms and females weigh about 700 – 1000 kilograms.

The length of the horns is about 60 to 115 cm (24 to 45 in).Both males and females carry horns, which grow from the sides of the head. Horns are curved upwards. Horns are regularly curved throughout their length, and they are bent inward and slightly backward at their tips. The color of the horn is pale green or yellow throughout the greater part of their length.

Physical Structure

The Gaur is a large and dark-coated forest animal. It is the largest species of wild cattle bigger than the African buffalo and Bison. Gaur looks like water buffalo at the front and domestic cattle at the back. They are the heaviest and powerful of all wild cattle.

Females are substantially smaller, and their dorsal ridges and dewlaps are less developed. The dark brown coat is short and dense. There is a dewlap under the chin which extends between the front legs. There is a shoulder hump, especially pronounced in adult males.

Male gaurs have distinctive dorsal ridges and large dewlaps. In females, these dorsal ridges and dewlaps are less developed.

A bulging grey-tan ridge connects the horns on the forehead.



The horns are flattened to a greater or less degree; this characteristic is more strongly marked in the bulls than in the cows. The tail is shorter than in the typical oxen, reaching only to the hocks.

The shoulders may be as much as 12 centimeters (5 in) higher than the rump. The hair is short, fine and glossy, and the hoofs are narrow and pointed. The shoulders may be as much as 12 centimeters (5 in) higher than the rump. The hair is short, fine and glossy, and the hoofs are narrow and point. The adult male gaur is dark brown in color, approaching black in very old individuals.

Distribution and Habitat

They are largely found in evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in dry deciduous forest areas. Gaur habitat is characterized by large, undisturbed forest tracts. Mostly they are found in the hilly terrain below an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 ft (1,500 to 1,800 m). They occur from sea level up to at least 2,800 m (9,200 ft) altitude.
In India, Gaur's population is extensively found in the Western Ghats, in particular Nagarhole, Bandhipur and Mudhumalai complexes.

Places Found

Nagarhole National Park: Nagarhole National Park is one of the famous parks in Karnataka. It is also known as "Rajiv Gandhi National Park". It is situated 94 kilometers from Mysore in Karnataka. This park has rich forest cover and waterfalls. The total area of the park is about 163 kilometers. It is the part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It was setup in 1955 and later converted into a National Park in 1988.

Many rare species like Asiatic elephant, Indian bison, tigers are found abundantly in this park, also it has an abundant number of jackals, barking deer and antelopes.

Bandhipur National Park : This park is located in the southern Karnataka area of Chamarajanagar district. It is one of the important Tiger Reserves in India. It has a total area of about 874 kilometers. It is a beautiful tourist spot in Karnataka and one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India. It was setup in 1931 and later converted into a National Park in 1973. This park has large population of Elephants, Indian Bison, Tiger, Leopard, Hyena.

Mudumalai National Park: Mudumalai National Park is located in the northwestern side of Nilgiri District of westernmost part of Tamilnadu.

It is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries established in India. It is one of the important wildlife Sanctuary due to its position. Because many areas are nearby it, those areas are Bandipur, Nagarhole, and Wynad Wildlife Sanctuaries. This Sanctuary covers three main forests they are, tropical moist deciduous, tropical dry deciduous and southern tropical dry thorn forests. This park is one of the famous Tiger Reserves in India.

Apart from tigers, many rare species like Bengal Tiger, Indian Leopard, Jungle cat, Sloth Bear are found in this region.

Food habits

Gaur feed mainly on grasses, herbs and shrubs, with high preference for leaves. Mostly gaur feeds only young green grasses but also leaves, twigs, and bark of various woody species, also it feeds on coarse dry grasses, and bamboo. Food preference varies by season, with more grass and herb species consumed in monsoon than tree species. In winter no food type is dominant, but in summer more tree species are eaten than grasses and shrubs.

Mostly its feeding time is observed between 6:30 and 8:30 am and between 5:30 and 6:45 pm. During the hottest hours of the day, they rest in the shade of big trees. In undisturbed areas, Gaur is mainly diurnal, but in areas of high human disturbance, it is reported to become mainly nocturnal.

Mating behavior

Gaurs have one calf (or occasionally two) after a gestation period of about 275 days (about nine months: a few days less than domestic cattle). Calves are typically weaned after seven to twelve months. Sexual maturity occurs in the gaur's second or third year. Breeding takes place year-round, but it is mainly between December and June. The lifespan of a gaur is thirty years. During the peak of the breeding season, unattached males wander widely in search of receptive females.

No serious fighting between males has been recorded, with size being the major factor in determining dominance. Males make a mating call of clear, resonant tones which may carry for more than 1.6 kilometers (1.0 miles). Gaurs have also been known to make a whistling snort as an alarm call, and a low, cow-like moo!! In some regions in India where human disturbance is minor, the gaur is very timid and shy.

In India, the population of the Indian Bison was estimated to be 12,000–22,000 in the mid–1990's. It was reported that the major population was found in the Nagarhole and

Bandipur National Parks, also in the Periyar Tiger Reserves and Silent Valley Complexes. Gaur forms small herds of 8 to 11 individuals. Each herd has no home range and sometimes they may join together in groups up to 50 or more. They are basically diurnal. They can be seen rarely in the open after eight in the morning. During the dry season, herds remain in small areas, and spread into the hills with the arrival of the monsoon.

Threats to Indian Bison

Interaction with domestic stock is greatly under-appreciated as a threat to Gaur, but is probably the main factor which currently limits populations in south and central India: livestock are widely grazed even in otherwise well-managed protected areas. Mainly gaurs are highly killed for its commercial trade in meat. Gaur is the main target for hunters for its massive head and horns, and lots were shot during the British rule and by the Maharajas, the population had decimated to a very low numbers, and it seems that since the complete ban on hunting in India, the Gaur is thriving for its better future.

Conservation efforts

Indian Bison is listed in CITES Appendix I. South and central India have a well established network of wildlife refugees and protection activities, to a large extent. In many Sanctuaries their populations are monitored periodically. Many steps are taken by the government to save this species. Hunting the Indian Bison is an offense and severe punishment will be given to the poachers.