Cover photo: Anoa © Chester Zoo
The Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group works to study and protect Asia's nine wild cattle species, all of which are threatened with extinction.
About Asian wild cattle
Anoa habitat loss due to mining, Sulawesi
Of the 12 wild cattle species, nine are found only in Asia. All nine of these species are threatened with extinction. These include the kouprey, a possibly-extinct Cambodian wild ox; the saola, a Critically Endangered bovid from Vietnam and Laos that wasn't known to science until 1992; anoa, dwarf buffalo species endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi; the Critically Endangered tamaraw and the gaur and wild water buffalo, some of the largest living land animals.
These species are all threatened by human activities, including hunting and habitat loss. We're working to address these threats and save these species - find out how we're making a difference here.
These species are all threatened by human activities, including hunting and habitat loss. We're working to address these threats and save these species - find out how we're making a difference here.
Importance of Asian wild cattle
Asian wild cattle species play an important role in their ecosystem. As well as serving as a food source for threatened predators such as tigers, leopards and dholes, their dung can support communities of fungi and insects which in turn can provide food for other threatened species like red junglefowl and green peafowl . Wild cattle species also play an important role as nutrient recyclers and seed dispersers. By grazing and wallowing, large, forest-dwelling Asian wild cattle species can significantly modify their environment and can be considered keystone species.
Four of these Asian wild cattle species (banteng, gaur, water buffalo and yak) have economically important domesticated cousins – there are up to 180 million domestic water buffalo and 14 million domestic yak around the world. Wild populations, therefore, represent a potentially important source of genetic diversity for increasing resistance and adaptability in domestic stock
Four of these Asian wild cattle species (banteng, gaur, water buffalo and yak) have economically important domesticated cousins – there are up to 180 million domestic water buffalo and 14 million domestic yak around the world. Wild populations, therefore, represent a potentially important source of genetic diversity for increasing resistance and adaptability in domestic stock
Our work
We rely on your support to save these species.
Find out more about how we're addressing the threats to these species here, or follow the project links below:
Find out more about how we're addressing the threats to these species here, or follow the project links below:
News and updates
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Supporters
We are very grateful to our major sponsors the Center for Conservation of Tropical Ungulates, Chester Zoo, Re:wild and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. Their generous support makes it possible for the Chair and Programme Officer to play leading roles in programmes on anoa, banteng, saola and tamaraw conservation. Their time is also used to support a range of other planning and assessment activities on other wild cattle species.
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Many organisations have contributed to conservation of wild cattle species, through the activities of the Specialist Group. This has been through their expertise and through financial contributions. We thank them for their generous support.
We rely on the support of partners to achieve success. Please contact us to find out how you can help support us, or see here for more information.
We rely on the support of partners to achieve success. Please contact us to find out how you can help support us, or see here for more information.