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100-601: Over 40 million American bison ( Bison bison ) once roamed the plains and grasslands from Mexico to central Canada, shaping the landscape with their migrations, grazing patterns, and behavior. By the 1870s, their populations had been decimated by westward expansion and over-hunting. An 1889 survey published by Hornaday, who would go on to become the first director of the Bronx Zoo , showed that approximately 1,000 bison remained in North America. The American Bison Society

200-523: A code of ethics which prohibits its members from deliberately crossbreeding bison with any other species. Population estimates in 2010 ranged from 400,000 to 500,000, with approximately 20,500 animals in 62 conservation herds and the remainder in approximately 6,400 commercial herds. According to the IUCN , roughly 15,000 bison are considered wild, free-range bison not primarily confined by fencing. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has reintroduced bison to over

300-672: A decline to only 33 individuals in 2020, and 2020 encounter rates in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary were too low to analyze with distance sampling . In Laos, up to 200 individuals were estimated to inhabit protected area boundaries in the mid-1990s. They were reported discontinuously distributed in low numbers. Overhunting had reduced the population, and survivors occurred mainly in remote sites. Fewer than six National Biodiversity Conservation Areas held more than 50 individuals. Areas with populations likely to be nationally important included

400-552: A dozen nature preserves around the United States. In October 2016, TNC established its easternmost bison herd in the country, at Kankakee Sands nature preserve in Morocco , Newton County, Indiana . In 2014, U.S. Tribes and Canadian First Nations signed a treaty to help with the restoration of bison, the first to be signed in nearly 150 years. American bison live in river valleys, and on prairies and plains. Typical habitat

500-475: A few older males. During the breeding season, dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Individual bulls "tend" cows until allowed to mate, by following them around and chasing away rival males. The tending bull shields the female's vision with his body so she will not see any other challenging males. A challenging bull may bellow or roar to get a female's attention, and the tending bull has to bellow or roar back. The most dominant bulls mate in

600-476: A gaur herd often form a circle surrounding the vulnerable young and calves, shielding them from the big cat. As tigers rely on ambush attacks when taking on prey as large as a gaur, they will almost always abandon a hunt if detected and met in this manner. A herd of gaur in Malaysia encircled a calf killed by a tiger and prevented it from approaching the carcass. Nevertheless, the gaur are formidable opponents to

700-426: A gaur in captivity is up to 30 years. Due to their size and power, gaur have few natural predators besides humans. Leopards , dhole packs and large mugger crocodiles occasionally attack unguarded calves or unhealthy animals. Only tigers and saltwater crocodiles have been reported to kill adult gaur. However, the habitat and distribution of the gaur and saltwater crocodile seldom overlap in recent times, due to

800-399: A high convex ridge on the forehead between the horns , which protrudes anteriorly, causing a deep hollow in the profile of the upper part of the head. There is a prominent ridge on the back. The ears are very large. In the old bulls, the hair becomes very thin on the back. The adult male is dark brown, approaching black in very old individuals. The upper part of the head, from above the eyes to

900-452: A high preference for leaves. Food preference varies by season. In winter and monsoon , they feed on preferably fine and fresh true grasses and herb species of the legume family , such as tick clover ( Desmodium triflorum ), but also browse on leaves of shrub species such as karvy ( Strobilanthes callosus ), Indian boxwood ( Gardenia latifolia ), mallow-leaved crossberry ( Grewia abutifolia ), East-Indian screw tree ( Helicteres ) and

1000-431: A new location to graze again. Sexually mature young bulls may try to start mating with cows by the age of two or three years, but if more mature bulls are present, they may not be able to compete until they reach five years of age. For the first two months of life, calves are lighter in color than mature bison. One extremely rare condition is the white buffalo , in which the calf turns entirely white. Bison are members of

1100-521: A number of physical and behavioral differences. Adult American bison are slightly heavier on average because of their less rangy build and have shorter legs, which render them slightly shorter at the shoulder. American bison tend to graze more and browse less than their European relatives because their necks are set differently. Compared to the nose of the American bison, that of the European species

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1200-539: A practice of pleistocene rewilding ; wood bison are the most similar to the extinct steppe bison species ( Bison priscus ). The bison are adapting well to the cold climate, and Yakutia's Red List officially registered the species in 2019; a second herd was formed in 2020. In Pleistocene Park , there are also 24 plains bison as wood bison could not be acquired. Bison are migratory and herd migrations can be directional as well as altitudinal in some areas. Bison have usual daily movements between foraging sites during

1300-417: A predation episode varies, ranging from a few minutes to over nine hours. Bison display five apparent defense strategies in protecting calves from wolves: running to a cow; running to a herd; running to the nearest bull; running in the front or center of a stampeding herd; entering water bodies, such as lakes or rivers. When fleeing wolves in open areas, cows with young calves take the lead, while bulls take to

1400-605: A sample of 13 individuals in India, gaur males averaged about 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) and females weighed a median of approximately 700 kg (1,500 lb). In China, the shoulder height of gaurs ranges from 165 to 220 cm (5 ft 5 in to 7 ft 3 in), and bulls weigh up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). The gaur historically occurred throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Nepal , India , Bhutan , Bangladesh , Myanmar , Thailand , Laos , Cambodia , Vietnam and China . Today, its range

1500-575: A single generic word covering both sexes. Thus: Such a distinction is not a general feature of the language (for example, Arapaho possesses gender-neutral terms for other large mammals such as elk, mule deer, etc.), and so presumably is due to the special significance of the bison in Plains Indian life and culture. A bison has a shaggy, long, dark-brown winter coat, and a lighter-weight, lighter-brown summer coat. Male bison are significantly larger and heavier than females. Plains bison are often in

1600-637: A threat to calves and sometimes old, injured, or sick adult bison, direct killing of non-calves is rare even when targeting lone and injured young individuals; attacking healthy bison is risky for bears, who can be killed instead. Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to the various North American national parks and will attack humans if provoked. They appear slow because of their lethargic movements but can easily outrun humans; bison have been observed running as fast as 65 to 70 km/h (40 to 45 mph). Bison may approach people for curiosity. Close encounters, including to touch

1700-866: Is a species of bison that is endemic (or native) to North America . It is one of two extant species of bison, along with the European bison . Its historical range circa 9000 BC is referred to as the great bison belt , a tract of rich grassland spanning from Alaska south to the Gulf of Mexico , and east to the Atlantic Seaboard (nearly to the Atlantic tidewater in some areas), as far north as New York , south to Georgia , and according to some sources, further south to northern Florida , with sightings in North Carolina near Buffalo Ford on

1800-451: Is classified by the United States government as a type of cattle, and the government allows private herds to be managed as such. This is a reflection of the characteristics that bison share with cattle. Though the American bison is a separate species and usually regarded as being in a separate genus from domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ), they have a lot of genetic compatibility with cattle. American bison can interbreed with cattle, although only

1900-401: Is completely unreliable as a means of determining what is a purebred bison and what is a crossbred cow. Many ranchers have deliberately crossbred their cattle with bison, and some natural hybridization could be expected in areas where cattle and bison occur in the same range. Since cattle and bison eat similar food and tolerate similar conditions, they have often been in the same range together in

2000-535: Is fragmented and probably declining. Gaurs are hunted by local tribal people in Sangu Matamuhari reserve forest although hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh. In Thailand, gaur were once found throughout the country, but fewer than 1,000 individuals were estimated to have remained in the 1990s. In the mostly semi-evergreen Dong Phayayen – Khao Yai Forest Complex , they were recorded at low density at

2100-616: Is home to a significant number of individuals. In Bhutan, they apparently persist all over the southern foothill zone, notably in Royal Manas National Park , Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary . In Bangladesh, a few gaur occur in the Chittagong Hill Tracts , mostly in Banderban district. During a camera trap project, few gaur were recorded indicating that the population

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2200-505: Is just under 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) tall and the male's girth at its midsection (behind its shoulders) averages about 277 cm (9 ft 1 in). Males are about one-fourth larger and heavier than females. Body mass ranges widely from 440 to 1,000 kg (970 to 2,200 lb) in adult females and 588 to 1,500 kg (1,296 to 3,307 lb) in adult males. In general, measurements are derived from gaurs surveyed in India . In

2300-777: Is not known if the Book Cliffs extension of the herd is also free of cattle hybridization. A separate study by Wilson and Strobeck, published in Genome , was done to define the relationships between different herds of bison in the United States and Canada, and to determine whether the bison at Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada and the Yellowstone Park bison herd were possibly separate subspecies. The Wood Buffalo Park bison were determined to actually be crossbreeds between plains and wood bison, but their predominant genetic makeup

2400-483: Is open or semiopen grasslands, as well as sagebrush, semiarid lands, and scrublands. Some lightly wooded areas are also known historically to have supported bison. Bison also graze in hilly or mountainous areas where the slopes are not steep. Though not particularly known as high-altitude animals, bison in the Yellowstone Park bison herd are frequently found at elevations above 2,400 m (8,000 ft), and

2500-536: Is seriously fragmented, and it is regionally extinct in Peninsular Malaysia and Sri Lanka . It is largely confined to evergreen forests or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests , but also inhabits deciduous forest areas at the periphery. Gaur habitat is characterized by large, relatively undisturbed forest tracts, hilly terrain below an elevation of 1,500 to 1,800 m (4,900 to 5,900 ft), availability of water, and an abundance of forage in

2600-462: Is set farther forward than the forehead when the neck is in a neutral position. The body of the American bison is hairier, though its tail has less hair than that of the European bison. The horns of the European bison point forward through the plane of its face, making it more adept at fighting through the interlocking of horns in the same manner as domestic cattle, unlike the American bison, which favors charging. American bison are more easily tamed than

2700-579: Is suggested to be the result of either incomplete lineage sorting or ancient introgression . Bison first appeared in Asia during the Early Pleistocene , around 2.6 million years ago. Bison only arrived in North America 195,000 to 135,000 years ago, during the late Middle Pleistocene , descending from the widespread Siberian steppe bison ( Bison priscus ), which had migrated through Beringia . Following their first appearance in North America,

2800-637: Is supported in part by WCS - North America. The Wildlife Conservation Society holds the William T. Hornday records, which contain all his ingoing and outgoing correspondence during his time as President of the ABS. American bison B. b. athabascae (wood bison) B. b. bison (plains bison) The American bison ( Bison bison ; pl. : bison ), commonly known as the American buffalo , or simply buffalo (not to be confused with true buffalo ),

2900-487: The Bovidae . The domesticated form of the gaur is called gayal ( Bos frontalis ) or mithun . The Sanskrit word गौर gaura means 'white, yellowish, reddish'. The Sanskrit word gaur-mriga means a kind of water buffalo . The Hindi word गौर gaur means 'fair-skinned, fair, white'. Bison gaurus was the scientific name proposed by Charles Hamilton Smith in 1827. Later authors subordinated

3000-489: The Catawba River as late as 1750. Two subspecies or ecotypes have been described: the plains bison ( B. b. bison ), smaller and with a more rounded hump; and the wood bison ( B. b. athabascae ), the larger of the two and having a taller, square hump. Furthermore, the plains bison has been suggested to consist of a northern plains ( B. b. montanae ) and a southern plains ( B. b. bison ) subspecies, bringing

3100-814: The Cumberland Gap through the Blue Ridge Mountains to upper Kentucky . A heavily used trace crossed the Ohio River at the Falls of the Ohio and ran west, crossing the Wabash River near Vincennes, Indiana . In Senator Thomas Hart Benton 's phrase saluting these sagacious path-makers, the bison paved the way for the railroads to the Pacific. The southern extent of the historic range of

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3200-881: The Henry Mountains bison herd is found on the plains around the Henry Mountains , Utah, as well as in mountain valleys of the Henry Mountains to an altitude of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Reintroduced plains bison in Banff National Park have been observed to roam mountainous areas, including high ridges and steep drainages, and archaeological finds indicate that some bison historically may have spent their lives within mountains while others may have migrated in and out of mountains. Those in Yukon, Canada, typically summer in alpine plateaus above treeline. The first thoroughfares of North America, except for

3300-702: The Janos Biosphere Reserve in northern Chihuahua adding to the Mexican bison population. In 2020, the second herd was formed in Maderas del Carmen . A private reserve named Jagüey de Ferniza has kept bisons since before the above-mentioned reintroductions in Coahuila. Since 2006, an outherd of wood bison sent from Alberta's Elk Island National Park was established in Yakutia , Russia as

3400-548: The Nam Theun catchment and the adjoining plateau. Subsequent surveys carried out a decade later using fairly intensive camera trapping did not record any gaur any more, indicating a massive decline of the population. In China, the gaur was present up to the 34th parallel north during the late Neolithic period about 5,200 years BP . Now it occurs only in heavily fragmented populations in Yunnan and southeastern Tibet . By

3500-493: The taxon . In recognition of phenotypic differences between zoological specimens of Indian and Southeast Asian gaur, the trinomials Bos gaurus gaurus and Bos gaurus laosiensis are provisionally accepted, pending further morphometric and genetic study. Within the genus Bos , the gaur is most closely related to the banteng ( Bos javanicus ) and the probably now extinct kouprey ( Bos sauveli ), which are also native to Southeast Asia. Relationships of members of

3600-717: The $ 10,000 needed to purchase the animals for the herd. They exceeded this fundraising goal, and in 1909, these animals were released on the new national range. In 1913, the New York Zoological Society (now the Wildlife Conservation Society ), working with ABS, donated 14 bison to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota , and ABS assisted in founding the herd at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska . Because of

3700-555: The 1870s, which caused the plains bison population to undergo a population bottleneck . The bottleneck resulted in a founding population of around 100 individuals, split into six herds, five of which were managed by private ranchers and one managed by the New York Zoological Park (now the Bronx Zoo ). Additionally, a wild herd consisting of 25 individuals in Yellowstone National Park survived

3800-775: The 1980s, it was extirpated in Lancang County , and the remaining animals were split into two populations in Xishuangbanna – Simao District and Cangyuan . In the mid-1990s, a population of 600–800 individuals may have lived in Yunnan Province, with the majority occurring in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. In 2016, it was estimated that the population has declined by more than 70% in Indochina and Malaysia during

3900-511: The 19th century and introduction of bovine diseases from domestic cattle. With an estimated population of 60 million in the late 18th century, the species was culled down to just 541 animals by 1889 as part of the subjugation of the Native Americans, because the American bison was a major resource for their traditional way of life (food source, hides for clothing and shelter, and horns and bones for tools). Recovery efforts expanded in

4000-438: The 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative on May 7, 2020. This initiative focuses on maintaining the genetic diversity of the metapopulation rather than individual herds. Small populations of bison are at considerably larger risk due to their decreased gene pool and are susceptible to catastrophic events more so than larger herds. The 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative aims to translocate up to three bison every five to ten years between

4100-478: The American bison includes northern Mexico and adjoining areas in the United States as documented by archeological records and historical accounts from Mexican archives from 700 CE to the 19th century. The Janos-Hidalgo bison herd has ranged between Chihuahua, Mexico, and New Mexico, United States, since at least the 1920s. The persistence of this herd suggests that habitat for bison is suitable in northern Mexico. In 2009, genetically pure bison were reintroduced to

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4200-542: The American bison. It is the national mammal of the United States . In American English, both buffalo and bison are considered correct terms for the American bison. However, in British English, the word buffalo is reserved for the African buffalo and water buffalo and not used for the bison. In English usage, the term buffalo was used to refer to the American mammal as early as 1625. The word bison

4300-545: The Department of the Interior's herds. Specific smaller herds will require a more intense management plan. Translocated bison will also be screened for any health defects such as infection of brucellosis bacteria as to not put the larger herd at risk. Bison went from numbering an estimated 60 million individuals before the 1870s to becoming nearly extinct in the 1880s. This was due to the mass slaughtering of bison during

4400-605: The European and breed more readily with domestic cattle. During the population bottleneck, after the great slaughter of American bison during the 19th century, the number of bison remaining alive in North America declined to as low as 541. During that period, a handful of ranchers gathered remnants of the existing herds to save the species from extinction. These ranchers bred some of the bison with cattle in an effort to produce "cattalo" or " beefalo ". Accidental crossings were also known to occur. Generally, male domestic bulls were crossed with bison cows, producing offspring of which only

4500-762: The Yellowstone Park bison herd, the Henry Mountains bison herd, which was started with bison taken from Yellowstone Park, the Wind Cave bison herd, and the Wood Buffalo National Park bison herd and subsidiary herds started from it, in Canada. A landmark study of bison genetics performed by James Derr of Texas A&M University corroborated this. The Derr study was undertaken in an attempt to determine what genetic problems bison might face as they repopulate former areas, and it noted that bison seem to be adapting successfully, despite their apparent genetic bottleneck. One possible explanation for this might be

4600-491: The animals, can be dangerous, and gunshots do not startle them. Between 1980 and 1999, more than three times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were injured by bison than by bears. During this period, bison charged and injured 79 people, with injuries ranging from goring puncture wounds and broken bones to bruises and abrasions. Bears injured 24 people during the same time. Three people died from

4700-505: The availability of preferred plant species for food. Hence, protection of the historically preferred habitats used by gaur is a significant factor in conservation biology . Sexual maturity occurs in the gaur's second or third year. Breeding takes place year-round, but typically peaks between December and June. Females have one calf, rarely two, after a gestation period of about 275 days, a few days less than domestic cattle. Calves are typically weaned after seven to 12 months. The lifespan of

4800-428: The base. The gaur has a head-and-body length of 250 to 330 cm (8 ft 2 in to 10 ft 10 in) with a 70 to 105 cm (28 to 41 in) long tail, and is 142 to 220 cm (56 to 87 in) high at the shoulder, averaging about 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) in females and 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) in males. At the top of its muscular hump just behind its shoulder, an average adult male

4900-400: The bison rapidly differentiated into new species , such as the largest of all bison, the long-horned Bison latifrons , along with Bison antiquus . The first appearance of bison in North America is considered to define the regional Rancholabrean faunal stage, due to its major impact on the ecology of the continent. Modern American bison are thought to have evolved from B. antiquus at

5000-466: The bottleneck. Gaur The gaur ( Bos gaurus ; / ɡ aʊər / ) is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia , and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 mature individuals in 2016, with the majority of those existing in India. It is the largest species among the wild cattle and

5100-524: The case of males, it is unlikely to be related to dominance , but rather to social bonding or gaining sexual experience. Bison mate in late spring and summer in more open plain areas. During fall and winter, bison tend to gather in more wooded areas. During this time, bison partake in horning behaviors. They rub their horns against trees, young saplings, and even utility poles. Aromatic trees like cedars and pine seem to be preferred. Horning appears to be associated with insect defense, as it occurs most often in

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5200-411: The chaste tree ( Vitex negundo ). In summer, they also feed on bark of teak ( Tectona grandis ), on fruit of golden shower tree ( Cassia fistula ), and on the bark and fruit of cashew ( Anacardium occidentale ). Gaur spent most of their daily time feeding. Peak feeding activity was observed between 6:30 and 8:30 in the mornings and between 17:30 and 18:45 in the evenings. During the hottest hours of

5300-666: The day, they rest in the shade of big trees. They may debark trees due to shortages of preferred food, and of minerals and trace elements needed for their nutrition, or for maintaining an optimum fiber/protein ratio for proper digestion of food and better assimilation of nutrients. They may turn to available browse species and fibrous teak bark in summer as green grass and herbaceous resources dry up. High concentrations of calcium (22400 ppm) and phosphorus (400 ppm) have been reported in teak bark, so consumption of teak bark may help animals to satisfy both mineral and other food needs. Long-term survival and conservation of these herbivores depend on

5400-408: The decreasing range of both species. A crocodile likely would need to be a mature adult male (more than 3.7 m or 12 ft and 300 kg or 660 lb) to make a successful attack on healthy adult gaurs. Tigers hunt young or infirm gaur, but have also been reported to have killed healthy bulls weighing at least 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). When confronted by a tiger, the adult members of

5500-657: The end of the Late Pleistocene - beginning of the Holocene , with likely intermediates between the species referred to as Bison "occidentalis" . The North American bison population experienced demographic stability during the Middle Holocene but began a slow decline in the Late Holocene beginning about 2,700 BP. Although they are superficially similar, the American and European bison exhibit

5600-596: The end of their first year. At three years of age, bison cows are mature enough to produce a calf. The birthing period for bison in boreal biomes is protracted compared to that of other northern ungulates, such as moose and caribou. Bison have a life expectancy around 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity. However, males and females from a hunted population also subject to wolf predation in northern Canada have been reported to live to 22 and 25 years of age, respectively. Bison have been observed to display homosexual behaviors , males much more so than females. In

5700-1223: The fall when the insect population is at its highest. Cedar and pines emit an aroma after bison horn them and this seems to be used as a deterrent for insects. A bison wallow is a shallow depression in the soil, which bison use either wet or dry. Bison roll in these depressions, covering themselves with dust or mud. Past and current hypotheses to explain the purpose of wallowing include grooming associated with shedding, male-male interaction (typically rutting ), social behavior for group cohesion, play, relief from skin irritation due to biting insects, reduction of ectoparasite ( tick and lice ) load, and thermoregulation . Bison wallowing has important ecosystem engineering effects and enhances plant and animal diversity on prairies. While often secure from predation because of their size and strength, in some areas, vulnerable individuals are regularly preyed upon by wolves . Wolf predation typically peaks in late winter, when elk migrates south and bison are distressed with heavy snows and shortages of food sources, with attacks usually being concentrated on weakened and injured cows and calves. Wolves more actively target herds with calves than those without. The length of

5800-472: The female offspring are fertile in the first generation. These female hybrids can be bred back to either bison or domestic bulls, resulting in either 1/4 or 3/4 bison young. Female offspring from this cross are also fertile, but males are not reliably fertile unless they are either 7 ⁄ 8 bison or 7 ⁄ 8 domestic. Moreover, when they do interbreed, crossbreed animals in the first generation tend to look very much like purebred bison, so appearance

5900-516: The females were fertile. The crossbred animals did not demonstrate any form of hybrid vigor , so the practice was abandoned. The proportion of cattle DNA that has been measured in introgressed individuals and bison herds today is typically quite low, ranging from 0.56 to 1.8%. In the United States , many ranchers are now using DNA testing to cull the residual cattle genetics from their bison herds. The U.S. National Bison Association has adopted

6000-500: The first 2–3 weeks of the season. More subordinate bulls mate with any remaining estrous cow that has not mated yet. Male bison play no part in raising the young. Bison herds have dominance hierarchies that exist for both males and females. A bison's dominance is related to its birth date. Bison born earlier in the breeding season are more likely to be larger and more dominant as adults. Thus, bison are able to pass on their dominance to their offspring as dominant bison breed earlier in

6100-410: The form of grasses , bamboo , shrubs, and trees. Its apparent preference for hilly terrain may be partly due to the earlier conversion of most of the plains and other low-lying areas to croplands and pastures. It occurs from sea level to an elevation of at least 2,800 m (9,200 ft). Low-lying areas seem to comprise optimal habitat. In Nepal, the gaur population was estimated to be 250–350 in

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6200-404: The former was limited after the rediscovery of a relatively pure herd. Elk Island National Park, which has wild populations of both wood and plains bison, has recorded maximum weights for bull bison of 1186 kg (plains) and 1099 kg (wood), but noted that 3/4 of all bison over 1000 kg were wood bison. When raised in captivity and farmed for meat, the bison can grow unnaturally heavy and

6300-515: The gaur lets out a high whistle for help. The gaur grazes and browses mostly the upper portions of plants, such as leaf blades, stems, seeds and flowers of grass species, including kadam Adina cordifolia . During a survey in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park , gaurs were observed to feed on 32 species of plants. They consume herbs, young shoots, flowers, fruits of elephant apple ( Dillenia ) with

6400-403: The genus Bos based on nuclear genomes after Sinding, et al. 2021. Bos primigenius + Bos taurus (aurochs and cattle) Bos mutus (wild yak) Bison bison (American bison) Bison bonasus (European bison/wisent) Bos javanicus (banteng) Bos gaurus (gaur) Bos sauveli (kouprey) The gaur is the largest extant bovid. It is a strong and massively built bovine with

6500-437: The greater part of their length, but the tips are black. The horns, of medium size by large bovid standards, grow to a length of 60 to 115 cm (24 to 45 in). The cow is considerably lighter in colour than the bull. Her horns are more slender and upright, with more inward curvature, and the frontal ridge is scarcely perceptible. In young animals, the horns are smooth and polished. In old bulls they are rugged and dented at

6600-462: The herd and may form herds of bulls only or live alone. Herds wander 2–5 km (1–3 mi) each day. Each herd has a nonexclusive home range, and sometimes herds may join in groups of 50 or more. Gaur herds are led by an old adult female, the matriarch. Adult males may be solitary. 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

6700-415: The injuries inflicted—one person by bison in 1983, and two people by bears in 1984 and 1986. A major problem that bison face today is a lack of genetic diversity due to the population bottleneck the species experienced during its near-extinction event. Another genetic issue is the entry of genes from domestic cattle into the bison population, through hybridization. Officially, the "American buffalo"

6800-574: The jungle at a surprising speed. However, in Southeast Asia and South India , where they are used to the presence of humans, gaur are said by locals to be very bold and aggressive. They are frequently known to go into fields and graze alongside domestic cattle, sometimes killing them in fights. Gaur bulls may charge without provocation, especially during summer, when the intense heat and parasitic insects make them more short-tempered than usual. To warn other members of its herd of approaching danger,

6900-593: The largest semidomestic bison weighed 1,724 kg (3,801 lb). The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns that can grow up to 60 cm (2 ft) long with 90 cm (3 ft) to 124 cm (4 ft) width, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and for defense. Bison are herbivores , grazing on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairies . Their daily schedule involves two-hour periods of grazing, resting, and cud chewing, then moving to

7000-426: The last three generations (generation length estimated at 8–10 years), and is extirpated from Sri Lanka . Populations in well-protected areas appeared to be stable. Where gaur have not been disturbed, they are basically diurnal . In other areas, they have become largely nocturnal due to human impact on the forest. In central India, they are most active at night, and are rarely seen in the open after 8 o'clock in

7100-858: The late 1960s to the early 1990s. The most substantial population of the country remained in Mondulkiri Province , where up to 1000 individuals may have survived up to 2010 in a forested landscape of over 15,000 km (5,800 sq mi). Results of camera trapping carried out in 2009 suggested a globally significant population of gaur in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary and the contiguous Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary , and line transect distance sampling from Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary showed around 500 individuals in 2010. Since then, there has been rapid decline of these populations, and likely all populations across Cambodia. Updated figures for Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary show

7200-410: The lowest weights probably representing typical weight around the age of sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age. The heaviest wild bull for B.b.bison ever recorded weighed 1,270 kg (2,800 lb) while there had been bulls estimated to be 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). B.b.athabascae is significantly larger and heavier on average than B.b.bison while the number of recorded samples for

7300-403: The major factor in determining dominance. Males make a mating call of clear, resonant tones which may carry for more than 1.6 km (1 mi). Gaur 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 despite their great size and power. When alarmed, gaur crash into

7400-551: The mid-1990s, with the majority in Chitwan National Park and the adjacent Parsa National Park . These two parks are connected by a chain of forested hills. Population trends appeared to be relatively stable. The Chitwan population has increased from 188 to 368 animals in the years 1997 to 2016. Census conducted in Parsa National Park confirmed the presence of 112 gaur in the same period. In India,

7500-536: The mid-20th century, with a resurgence to roughly 31,000 wild bison as of March 2019. For many years, the population was primarily found in a few national parks and reserves. Through multiple reintroductions , the species now freely roams wild in several regions in the United States , Canada and Mexico . The American bison has also been introduced to Yakutia in Russia . Spanning back millennia , Native American tribes have had cultural and spiritual connections to

7600-485: The morning. During the dry season, herds congregate and remain in small areas, dispersing into the hills with the arrival of the monsoon . While gaur depend on water for drinking, they do not seem to bathe or wallow. In January and February, gaur live in small herds of eight to 11 individuals, one of which is a bull. In April or May, more bulls may join the herd for mating, and individual bulls may move from herd to herd, each mating with many cows. In May or June, they leave

7700-408: The nape of the neck, is ashy grey, or occasionally dirty white. The muzzle is pale coloured, and the lower part of the legs are pure white or tan. The cows and young bulls are paler, and in some instances have a rufous tinge, which is most marked in groups inhabiting dry and open areas. The tail is shorter than in the typical oxen , reaching only to the hocks . They have a distinct ridge running from

7800-810: The past, and opportunity for crossbreeding may sometimes have been common. In recent decades, tests were developed to determine the source of mitochondrial DNA in cattle and bison, and most private "buffalo" herds were actually crossbred with cattle, and even most state and federal buffalo herds had some cattle DNA. With the advent of nuclear microsatellite DNA testing, the number of herds known to contain cattle genes has increased. As of 2011, though about 500,000 bison existed on private ranches and in public herds, perhaps only 15,000 to 25,000 of these bison were pure and not actually bison-cattle hybrids. DNA from domestic cattle ( Bos taurus ) has been found in almost all examined bison herds. Significant public bison herds that do not appear to have hybridized domestic cattle genes are

7900-978: The population was estimated to be 12,000–22,000 in the mid-1990s. The Western Ghats and their outflanking hills in southern India constitute one of the most extensive extant strongholds of gaur, in particular in the Wayanad – Nagarhole – Mudumalai – Bandipur complex. The populations in India, Bhutan and Bangladesh are estimated to comprise 23,000–34,000 individuals. Major populations of about 2,000 individuals have been reported in both Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks, over 1,000 individuals in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project , 500–1000 individuals in both Periyar Tiger Reserve and Silent Valley and adjoining forest complexes, and over 800 individuals in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary . Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Tripura

8000-424: The rear of the herds to guard the cows' escape. Bison typically ignore wolves not displaying hunting behavior. Wolf packs specializing in bison tend to have more males because their larger size than females allows them to wrestle prey to the ground more effectively. Healthy, mature bulls in herds rarely fall prey. Grizzly bears are known to feed on carcass and may steal wolves' kills. While grizzlies can also pose

8100-486: The same Greek word boubalos we also get the Bubal hartebeest . Bison was borrowed from French bison in the early 17th century, from Latin bison ( aurochs ), from a Proto-Germanic word similar to wisent and, per Etymonline, first applied to American buffalo in the 1690s. In Plains Indian languages in general, male and female bison are distinguished, with each having a different designation rather than there being

8200-459: The season. In addition to dominance, the older bison of a generation also have a higher fertility rate than the younger ones. Bison mate in August and September; gestation is 285 days. A single reddish-brown calf nurses until the next calf is born. If the cow is not pregnant, a calf will nurse for 18 months. Cows nurse their calves for at least 7 or 8 months, but most calves seem to be weaned before

8300-683: The secure populations of bison in these public herds, the ABS considered their work done, and the organization was disbanded in 1935. In 2005, the American Bison Society was re-launched by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to secure the ecological future of bison in North America. On August 12, 2010, National Geographic published a progress report on the Wood Bison Recovery Program at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center that

8400-445: The shoulders to the middle of the back; the shoulders may be as much as 12 cm (4.7 in) higher than the rump. This ridge is caused by the great length of the spinous processes of the vertebrae of the fore-part of the trunk as compared with those of the loins . The hair is short, fine and glossy; the hooves are narrow and pointed. The gaur has a distinct dewlap on the throat and chest. Both sexes have horns, which grow from

8500-445: The sides of the head, curving upwards. Between the horns is a high convex ridge on the forehead. At their bases they present an elliptical cross-section, a characteristic that is more strongly marked in bulls than in cows. The horns are decidedly flattened at the base and regularly curved throughout their length, and are bent inward and slightly backward at their tips. The colour of the horns is some shade of pale green or yellow throughout

8600-487: The small amount of domestic cattle genes that are now in most bison populations, though this is not the only possible explanation for bison success. In the study, cattle genes were also found in small amounts throughout most national, state, and private herds. "The hybridization experiments conducted by some of the owners of the five foundation herds of the late 1800s, have left a legacy of a small amount of cattle genetics in many of our existing bison herds," said Derr. "All of

8700-550: The small size of only 12 individuals in the founder population. A side finding of this was that the Antelope Island bison herd appears to be most closely related to the Wood Buffalo National Park bison herd, though the Antelope Island bison are actually plains bison. In order to bolster the genetic diversity of the American bison, the National Park Service alongside the Department of the Interior announced

8800-849: The smaller range of sizes, and wood bison in the larger range. Head-rump lengths at maximum up to 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) for males and 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) for females long and the tail adding 30 to 95 cm (1 ft 0 in to 3 ft 1 in). Heights at withers in the species can reach up to 186 to 201 cm (6 ft 1 in to 6 ft 7 in) for B. b. bison and B. b. athabascae respectively. Typically weights can range from 318 to 1,179 kg (701 to 2,599 lb), 460 to 988 kg (1,014 to 2,178 lb) with medians of 730 to 792.5 kg (1,609 to 1,747 lb) ( B.b. bison ) and 943.6 kg (2,080 lb) ( B.b.athabascae ) in males, and 360 to 640 kg (790 to 1,410 lb) with medians of 450 to 497.6 kg (992 to 1,097 lb) in females, although

8900-497: The species under either Bos or Bibos . To date, three gaur subspecies have been recognized: In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature fixed the valid specific name of the wild gaur as the first available name based on the wild population, despite being antedated by the name for the domestic form. Most authors have adopted the binomial Bos gaurus for the wild species as valid for

9000-575: The state owned bison herds tested (except for possibly one) contain animals with domestic cattle mtDNA." It appears that the one state herd that had no cattle genes was the Henry Mountains bison herd; the Henry Mountain herd was started initially with transplanted animals from Yellowstone Park. However, the extension of this herd into the Book Cliffs of central Utah involved mixing the founders with additional bison from another source, so it

9100-729: The summer. In the Hayden Valley, Wyoming, bison have been recorded traveling, on average, 3 km (2 mi) per day. The summer ranges of bison appear to be influenced by seasonal vegetation changes, interspersion and size of foraging sites, the rut , and the number of biting insects. The size of preserve and availability of water may also be a factor. Bison are largely grazers, eating primarily grasses and sedges. On shortgrass pasture, bison predominately consume warm-season grasses. On mixed prairie, cool-season grasses, including some sedges, apparently compose 79–96% of their diet. In montane and northern areas, sedges are selected throughout

9200-458: The tigers, and they are capable of killing tigers in self-defence. In Laos, the gaur is highly threatened by poaching for trade to supply international markets, but also by opportunistic hunting, and specific hunting for home consumption. In the 1990s, gaurs were particularly sought by Vietnamese poachers for their commercial value. In Thailand, the gaur is severely threatened by poaching for commercial trade in meat and trophies . The gaur

9300-684: The time-obliterated paths of mastodon or muskox and the routes of the mound builders , were the traces made by bison and deer in seasonal migration and between feeding grounds and salt licks . Many of these routes, hammered by countless hoofs instinctively following watersheds and the crests of ridges in avoidance of lower places' summer muck and winter snowdrifts, were followed by the aboriginal North Americans as courses to hunting grounds and as warriors' paths. They were invaluable to explorers and were adopted by pioneers . Bison traces were characteristically north and south, but several key east–west trails were used later as railways. Some of these include

9400-488: The total to three. However, this is generally not supported. The wood bison is one of the largest wild species of extant bovid in the world, surpassed only by the Asian gaur . Among extant land animals in North America, the bison is the heaviest and the longest, and the second tallest after the moose . Once roaming in vast herds , the species nearly became extinct by a combination of commercial hunting and slaughter in

9500-445: The tribe Bovini . Genetic evidence from nuclear DNA indicates that the closest living relatives of bison are yaks , with bison being nested within the genus Bos , rendering Bos without including bison paraphyletic . While nuclear DNA indicates that the two living bison species are each other's closest living relatives, the mitochondrial DNA of European bison is more closely related to that of domestic cattle and aurochs , which

9600-482: The turn of the century, with an estimated total of about 150 individuals. In Vietnam, several areas in Đắk Lắk Province were known to contain gaur in 1997. Several herds persist in Cát Tiên National Park and in adjacent state forest enterprises. The current status of the gaur population is poorly known; they may be in serious decline. In Cambodia, gaur declined considerably in the period from

9700-441: The year. Bison also drink water or consume snow on a daily basis. Female bison live in maternal herds which include other females and their offspring. Male offspring leave their maternal herd when around three years old and either live alone or join other males in bachelor herds. Male and female herds usually do not mingle until the breeding season, which can occur from July through September. However, female herds may also contain

9800-658: Was applied in the 1690s. Buffalo was applied to the American bison by Samuel de Champlain as the French word buffles in 1616 (published 1619), after seeing skins and a drawing. These were shown to him by members of the Nipissing First Nation , who said they traveled forty days (from east of Lake Huron) to trade with another nation who hunted the animals. Buffel in turn comes from Portuguese bufalo (water buffalo), which comes from Latin bufalus (an antelope, gazelle, or wild ox), from Greek boubalos . From

9900-691: Was formed to prevent the extinction of the American bison. In 1907, the ABS shipped 15 bison from the Bronx Zoo to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and Game Preserve in Oklahoma by cart and rail. This was the first animal reintroduction in North America. In 1908, following successful petitioning by ABS, the US Congress passed a bill to establish a permanent National Bison Range in Montana, provided that ABS raise

10000-461: Was that of the expected "wood buffalo". However, the Yellowstone Park bison herd was pure plains bison, and not any of the other previously suggested subspecies. Another finding was that the bison in the Antelope Island herd in Utah appeared to be more distantly related to other plains bison in general than any other plains bison group that was tested, though this might be due to genetic drift caused by

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