About:
Indian Bisons are one of the largest extant bovines. It is one of the largest species among the wild cattle, reaching a shoulder height of up to 220 cm.
- Habitat:
- They are found on the forested hills and grassy areas of south to south east Asia.
- Distribution:
- There are about 13,000 to 30,000 gaurs in the world with approximately 85% of the population present in India. It is also found in Burma and Thailand.
- The Western Ghats in southern India constitute one of the most extensive extant strongholds of gaur, in particular in the Wayanad – Nagarhole – Mudumalai – Bandipur complex.
- The first-ever population estimation exercise of the Indian gaur carried out in the Nilgiris Forest Division in February 2020 estimated around 2,000 Indian gaurs to be inhabiting the division.
- The gaur is the State Animal of Goa and Bihar.
- Conservation:
- It is a protected species and included in Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972
- Listed as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
- It is listed in CITES Appendix I.
Wildlife or Zoological Diplomacy
- It means the translocation and reintroduction of a species, particularly between neighbouring countries with similar eco-systems. It is considered as a potent tool in engaging different nations.
Examples:
- Recently India translocated cheetahs from Namibia.
- American bison herds were supplemented with animals from Canada after the U.S. herds were almost all wiped out.
- The U.K. has recently introduced the European bison (Wisent) after an estimated 10,000 years in June 2022.
- Israel has for decades pursued reintroductions, including of Persian fallow deer. Arabian oryx and other species have been released into the Negev desert.
- South Africa has recently used the export of cheetahs to other African countries as a diplomatic tool during the post-apartheid era.
