Mission
The IUCN Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group’s (AWCSG) mission is to promote the long-term conservation of the Asian wild cattle species and their habitats by means of information-sharing, identification of conservation priorities and facilitation/delivery of these priority actions through collaborative conservation work.
The focus of the Specialist Group are Asia's nine wild cattle species — lowland and mountain anoa, banteng, gaur, kouprey, saola, tamaraw, wild water buffalo and wild yak — and their habitats.
The AWCSG works towards achieving its mission by Assessing, Planning, and Acting to achieve the greatest impact possible. This follows the IUCN SSC’s paradigm, as shown below:
The focus of the Specialist Group are Asia's nine wild cattle species — lowland and mountain anoa, banteng, gaur, kouprey, saola, tamaraw, wild water buffalo and wild yak — and their habitats.
The AWCSG works towards achieving its mission by Assessing, Planning, and Acting to achieve the greatest impact possible. This follows the IUCN SSC’s paradigm, as shown below:
Objectives
The AWCSG has the following objectives:
- Compile and synthesize information on the conservation status of all Asian wild cattle species across their range, with particular emphasis on species which are threatened
- Act as the IUCN Red List Authority for the Asian wild cattle species
- Develop or update conservation strategies (including education and research priorities) working with range state government agencies, NGOs, IUCN, and CITES
- Build capacity through the exchange of information and technical expertise both within and outside the group
- Catalyse and contribute to conservation efforts of selected projects
Approach
The AWCSG uses a range of approaches to work towards achieving its mission. To achieve the Assess and Plan phases, a Participatory Conservation Planning Workshops approach is used. This allows stakeholders to provide the most detailed information on status and threats, as well as plan appropriate actions to address the threats and knowledge gaps. This applies the Strategic Conservation Planning Process that has been promoted by the IUCN SSC Species Conservation Planning Task Force. You can read more about our work in Conservation Planning here.
To achieve the Act phase, the Asian Wild Cattle SG works with relevant stakeholders identified during the previosuly described planning phase. We apply the One Plan approach to conservation that integrates in situ conservation and conservation breeding (ex situ, as a back-up) into a single programme, where appropriate.
To achieve the Act phase, the Asian Wild Cattle SG works with relevant stakeholders identified during the previosuly described planning phase. We apply the One Plan approach to conservation that integrates in situ conservation and conservation breeding (ex situ, as a back-up) into a single programme, where appropriate.
The One Plan approach to species conservation is the development of management strategies and conservation actions by all responsible parties for all populations of a species, whether inside or outside their natural range.
- IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group
The One Plan Approach: integrated conservation efforts
Conservation breeding can provide a long-term back-up or insurance population in the case that wild populations are lost in the wild. As many of the Asian wild cattle species are threatened this is an important method to apply. Find out more about our projects using the One Plan Approach here: