The buffalo is a large-sized animal, its weight can reach more than 1000 kg, but not everyone has such a mass. Speaking about growth, on average this figure ranges from 1 to 1.5 m, while the limbs of the buffalo are not long, but powerful. Naturally, deviations from the average are permissible, depending on the breed and habitat of the animal.

Interesting fact that the older the buffalo, the more mass he manages to gain. Males are traditionally more massive, they are heavier than females, which allows them to fight for themselves and their herd. The female on average weighs up to 600 kg, although some endemic species, such as anoa, barely reach 300 kg.

A characteristic feature of buffaloes is the presence of horns. In the most common breed - the African buffalo - the horns are not too large, but at the same time they are directed in different directions and have bends. Outwardly, the place of fusion of the horns with the skull resembles a kind of helmet. There are also such species of animal, such as the Indian buffalo, in which the horns reach record levels: about 2 m in length. At the same time, they are not directed upwards, but also grow to the side, turning back at the end. There are also polled animals, but this is a rather rare occurrence.

Where do buffaloes live

A buffalo is an animal that belongs to the genus of bulls, but with a peculiarity: their horns are hollow. It is worth saying that in Russia or Ukraine it is rare to meet one individual, and even more so a family of buffaloes. This is explained by natural environment habitats of a bovid animal - a country with a hot climate, where there are no such harsh winters.

Currently, four subspecies of this animal are distinguished:

  • Tamarou.
  • Endemic anoa or dwarf (small, small).
  • Asian (another name for Indian), common on the islands of Sulawesi.
  • African buffalo (lives in Africa and is the most common).

Naturally, the habitat will influence the wild animal, it will be most adapted to its native climate.

However, at present, the animal is protected by the law of many states, as their numbers are massively reduced. Some species, such as anoa, are forced to be placed in the Red Book, as the species is on the verge of extinction. Some attribute this to global warming, someone sees the reason for the fact that these animals are being hunted, poaching.

African buffalo

African buffalo, or black buffalo (lat. Syncerus caffer) is a species of bulls widespread in Africa. Although a typical representative of the subfamily of bulls, the African buffalo, however, is very peculiar and is allocated to a separate genus Syncerus with a single species (it is also the only one from the subfamily of bulls that lives in Africa).

Appearance

To feel the full power and greatness of the African buffalo, just one look at it is enough. Judge for yourself: its height reaches two meters, and its length is three and a half. The weight of an adult male is about a ton, and the greatest threat is not the horns (which reach a meter length), but the hooves. The front part looks more massive and has a larger hoof area than the back. It is for this reason that the meeting with the African buffalo, rushing at high speed, becomes the last for the victim.

The most striking representative of the five subspecies of African giants is the Kaffir buffalo. It is much larger than its counterparts and almost completely corresponds to the above description. It has a very formidable disposition, which, as it were, warns the black color of the coat.

Habitat and lifestyle

Already from the name of the animals it is clear that they live on the African continent. But it is impossible to clearly define the territory that African bulls prefer. They can live equally well in forests, savannahs and mountains. The main requirement for the area is the close location of the water. It is in the savannas that the Kaffir, Senegal and Nile buffaloes prefer to stay.

In the natural environment, large colonies of African buffaloes can only be found in protected areas that are far from people. Animals do not trust them much and try to avoid them in every possible way, like any other threat. In this they are helped in many ways by their excellent sense of smell and hearing, which cannot be said about vision, which can hardly be called ideal. Females with young offspring behave especially carefully.

Separate attention deserves the organization of the herd and the hierarchy in it. At the slightest danger, the calves move deep into the herd, and the most mature and experienced ones cover them, forming a dense shield. They communicate with each other through special signals and clearly define their further actions. In total, the herd can consist of 20 to 30 individuals of different ages.

Human use

Despite the fact that African buffaloes pose a great danger and are very reluctant to make contact with people, the latter still managed to tame the giants and successfully use them in household. The tribes use these animals as a traction force, cultivating large areas for crops of cereals and other crops.

Also, African buffaloes are indispensable as a large cattle. They are raised for meat, and they do not always wait until the calf reaches its maximum weight. Females give milk of excellent quality, containing a large amount of fat. They make hard and soft cheese, similar to cheese, and drink it just like that.

After the slaughter of African buffaloes, in addition to meat, there is also a lot of useful food left. For example, the skin can be used as bedding, decoration, or used for tailoring. Now massive horns decorate the interior, and earlier they were used to make primitive tools for cultivating the garden. Even the bones are used - burned in the furnace and ground, they are used as fertilizer and feed additive for other domestic animals.

Population status and threats

The African buffalo did not escape the common fate of large African ungulates, which were severely knocked out in the 19th - first half of the 20th century due to uncontrolled shooting. However, the buffalo population suffered much less than, for example, elephants - perhaps because, given the complexity and danger of hunting, the buffalo is not of commercial value (unlike the same elephant with valuable tusks or a rhinoceros with a valuable horn). Therefore, the number of buffaloes remained quite high. Much greater devastation among the buffaloes was caused by the epizootics of rinderpest, brought to Africa at the end of the 19th century with the cattle of white settlers. The first outbreaks of this disease among buffaloes were noted in 1890.

The buffalo at present, although it has disappeared in many places of its former habitat, is still numerous in places. The total number of buffalo of all subspecies in Africa is estimated at about a million heads. The state of the population, according to the estimates of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, "is under little threat, but depends on conservation measures" (Eng. Lower risk, conservation dependent).

In a number of places in Africa, stable and sustainable buffalo populations live in protected areas. There are many buffaloes in such famous reserves as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro (Tanzania) and the National Park. Kruger (South Africa). Large herds of buffalo are found in Zambia, in reserves in the Luangwa River valley.

Outside reserves, the biggest threat to buffalo is habitat destruction. Buffaloes do not tolerate the cultural landscape at all and try to stay away from agricultural land, so the plowing and development of land, inevitable with the constant growth of the population of Africa, has an extremely negative effect on the number of buffaloes.

Many buffaloes are kept in zoos around the world. They breed well in captivity, but keeping them is quite difficult - buffaloes in the zoo are sometimes very aggressive. Cases have been noted when buffalo fights in the zoo led to death.

Asian buffalo

The Asian buffalo, or Indian buffalo (lat. Bubalus arnee) is an artiodactyl mammal from the bovid family. One of the largest bulls. Adults reach a length of more than 3 meters. The height at the withers reaches 2 m, and the weight can reach 1000 kg, in some cases up to 1200, on average, an adult male weighs about 900 kg. The horns reach up to 2 m, they are directed to the sides and back and have a crescent shape and a flattened section. Cows have small or no horns.

Appearance description

Despite the fact that the Indian buffalo species includes at least 6 subspecies, they are all united by similar appearance features. One of them is horns. Long, growing slightly backwards, they gently curve upwards and are a serious weapon, equally dangerous for predators and humans, as well as for other animals.

In Indian buffalo cows, the horns are not as prominent as those of bulls, they differ in shape - they are not curved, but straight. Sexual dimorphism is also manifested in size indicators - females are much smaller.

The Indian bull, with the exception of the dwarf variety, reaches a height of about 2 meters. Adult buffaloes weigh up to 900 kg on average. There are individual individuals weighing up to 1200 kg. The length of the barrel-shaped body is about 3-4 meters. Compared to other buffaloes, Indian bulls have relatively high legs. Representatives of the species have a long (up to 90 cm), massive tail.

In addition to the large dimensions of the body, nature has awarded Indian buffaloes with a decent long life up to 26 years of age vivo.

Range and conservation problems

Wild Asian buffaloes live in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, as well as Ceylon. Back in the middle of the 20th century, buffaloes were found in Malaysia, but now, apparently, there are no wild animals left there. On the island of Mindoro (Philippines), in the special reserve Iglit, a special, dwarf subspecies lived, called tamarau (B. b. mindorensis). This subspecies is apparently extinct.

But the historical range of buffalo settlement is huge. As early as the beginning of the first millennium A.D. e. the Indian buffalo was found on a vast territory from Mesopotamia to southern China.

In most places, buffaloes now live in strictly protected areas, where they are accustomed to humans and are no longer wild in the strict sense of the word. The Indian buffalo was also brought to Australia in the 19th century and widely settled in the north of the continent.

In Asian countries, the range and number of Indian buffalo are constantly declining. The main reason for this is not hunting, which is usually limited and carried out according to strict quotas, but habitat destruction, plowing and settlement of remote areas. There are fewer and fewer places where a wild buffalo can live in a natural setting. In fact, now in India and Sri Lanka, the range of wild buffalo is completely tied to national parks (the famous Kaziranga National Park in the Indian state of Assam has a herd of buffaloes of more than a thousand heads). The situation in Nepal and Bhutan is little better.

Another serious problem is the constant crossbreeding of wild buffalo with domestic ones, which is why the wild species is gradually losing its purity of blood. It is extremely difficult to avoid this in view of the fact that almost everywhere wild buffaloes have to live next to people and, accordingly, domestic buffaloes kept on free pasture.

Lifestyle and behavior

Indian buffaloes are characterized by a herd lifestyle. Small groups are formed from the leader - the oldest bull, several young males, as well as calves and cows. When a threat appears, the herd tries to get away from the pursuers as soon as possible. However, then the animals regroup and wait for enemies for a frontal attack, often on their own tracks. In any situation, older animals try to protect the young.

The Indian buffalo in nature associates his life with stagnant water: lakes or swamps, in extreme cases, he settles for slow-flowing rivers.

At the same time, Indian bulls themselves are one of the irreplaceable sources of reproduction. natural resources. The manure they produce contributes to the replenishment of nutrients and supports the intensive growth of green mass.

small island buffaloes

In the Philippines, or rather, on the small island of Mindoro, there lives a small dwarf buffalo tamarou. Its height is only 110 cm, body length is 2-3 meters, and weight is 180-300 kg. It looks more like an antelope than a buffalo. The horns of the tamarou buffalo are flat, curved back, each about 40 cm long. They form a triangle at the base. The coat is liquid, black or chocolate in color, sometimes gray.

Even 100-150 years ago, the places where the tamarou buffalo lives were sparsely populated. On the island of Mindoro there was a very dangerous strain of malaria, they were afraid to master it. Animals could easily walk through the tropical thickets without fear, because there are no large predators on the island, and the tamarou is the largest species there. But they learned to fight malaria, the island began to be actively populated, which led to a sharp decrease in the population. Now in the world there are no more than 100-200 individuals of this species, it is listed in the Red Book.

Another small buffalo lives on the island of Sulawesi. It is called anoa and is even smaller than tamarou. The height of the anoa is only 80 cm, and the length of the body is 160 cm. Females weigh about 150 kg, males reach 300 kg. There is almost no wool on their body, the skin color is black. Calves are born almost red. There are two varieties of this buffalo: the mountain buffalo and the plains anoa buffalo. Plains anoas have straight horns with a triangular cut, about 25 cm long. Mountain anoas have twisted and round ones.

The small island buffalo has a lifespan of about 20 years, which is significantly longer than other species. Now anoas are extremely rare. Despite the fact that they are protected in Indonesia, animals often become victims of poachers. Wherever a person appears, active development of the territory begins.

Sulawesi is one of the most densely populated islands, so there is less and less space for anoa, which does not affect the population in the best way. Perhaps soon this view can only be seen in photos and videos.

population

Until the 19th century, the pygmy wild buffalo from the island of Sulawesi densely populated the area. However, with the growth of agriculture, the bulls began to leave the coastal areas, moving away from people. The dwarf animals have chosen mountainous areas as a new habitat.

Before World War II, the number of buffalo was significant. Hunting rules protected the species from destruction, and besides, the locals rarely killed the anoa. The situation changed dramatically after World War II.

The local population has acquired a more serious firearms. Now hunting for anoa has become available to them. Hunting rules were constantly violated, and the reserves built to protect the buffalo were abandoned.

Due to the fearfulness of animals, it is not possible to thoroughly study the species. Both species are known to be on the verge of extinction. The exact number of wild buffaloes is unknown. There are much more mountain individuals in nature, thanks to the mountains in which you can hide from danger. Plains species are subject to attacks by predators and local residents so their numbers are constantly decreasing.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature records in the stud book the number of animals living in captivity. This allows you to create a minimum fund of small bulls.

domestic bulls

The Indian buffalo was domesticated several thousand years ago. Images of buffalo-like animals can be found both on ancient Greek vases and on Sumerian tiles. Distributed throughout the southern territory of the Eurasian continent, bulls are still preserved as livestock in southern Europe and Southeast Asia. They were brought to Hawaii, and to Japan, and to Latin America.

On the territory of the Caucasus region, a local breed has long been inhabited, originating from Indian wild bulls. Currently, breeding work is being carried out to improve local animals: to increase the yield of meat and improve the milk qualities of buffaloes. Traditionally, the population produced gatyg or yogut, kaymag (specially processed fat cream) and ayran from milk. Currently, industrial recipes for the manufacture of different types of cheese are being developed, because it is known that Italian mozzarella according to the original recipe is made from buffalo milk.

Domestic bulls are common in Bulgaria (Indo-Bulgarian breeding group), and in Italy and the Balkan region. They are bred in Transcarpathia and Lviv region (Ukraine). Both meat and milk of buffaloes are valuable food products.

In India, where the meat of ordinary cows is considered forbidden, domestic buffalo are the source of this protein food. The ban does not apply to domesticated bulls, and they are bred as both dairy and beef cattle. in Southeast Asia and Latin America powerful, hardy animals are the best draft force. With the help of bulls, people cultivate the rice fields, harnessing the buffalo to primitive plows and harrows. In mountainous or swampy areas where horses cannot work, they carry a variety of goods.

Domestic animals very often self-breed with wild buffaloes, violating the purity of the blood of the latter. The already rare, wild bulls lose their biological exclusivity, producing offspring with a mixed genotype. There are only about 1,000 purebred wild bulls left.

Buffalo productivity

In almost all main indicators of productivity, buffaloes are significantly inferior to ordinary cows. Thus, the slaughter yield usually does not exceed 47%, while in ordinary cattle this figure ranges from 50-60%. At the same time, the characteristics of meat are very mediocre, to say the least.

The meat of adult buffaloes is quite tough and also strongly reeks of musk, so it cannot be used as food like regular beef. It must either be deeply processed (for example, to make sausages), or fed to other animals (for example, to make dog food). But the meat of young animals is more or less similar to beef, although it is noticeably inferior to it in taste. By the way, wild buffaloes in Africa and Australia are objects of sport hunting, but their meat also has no special value.

Average milk yields are also not particularly encouraging - 1400-1700 liters per lactation, which is 2-3 times lower than that of ordinary meat and dairy cows (not to mention purely dairy breeds). However, the advantage of buffaloes is that their milk is very fatty. While regular cow's milk contains 2 to 4% fat, buffalo contains 8%. In fact, buffaloes do not even give milk, but low-fat cream.

Buffalo skins are of particular value. The average weight of raw leather from one animal is 25-30 kg with an average thickness of about 7 mm.

Features of keeping buffaloes

According to the conditions of detention, the Asian black buffalo is as close as possible to an ordinary cow. He grazes on the same pastures, lives in an ordinary barn, and in general differs little from a cow. At the same time, two diametrically opposed opinions have developed among pastoralists regarding the nature of buffaloes.

Both the Indonesian dwarf buffalo and the domesticated Indian buffalo willingly eat the most coarse and low-value feeds that are usually unsuitable for cows. For example, straw and corn stalks can be fed to these animals. In addition, we recall that domestic buffaloes are called "river type". They can be safely grazed in marshy and forest pastures where normal cows are not grazed. Buffaloes are very fond of coastal vegetation (reeds, sedge), and also eat nettles, ferns and even needles without any problems.

In swampy areas where it is problematic to breed ordinary cattle, buffaloes feel very comfortable. Moreover, if there is at least a small reservoir nearby, they will willingly swim in it in the summer heat.

It is believed that buffaloes tolerate cold well, but given the southern origin of this species, this should not be abused. In regions with cold winters, animals definitely need a warm capital barn.

Advantages and disadvantages of buffaloes

Traditionally, the term "cattle" refers to ordinary cows and bulls, but domesticated buffalo also belongs to this category of farm animals. And, since it is cows that are the main representative of this group, it makes sense to compare the advantages and disadvantages of buffaloes in relation to them.

The clear benefits are:

  1. High fat milk. The fat content averages just over 8%, and subject to certain rules fattening, this figure can easily be brought up to 10% or more. Thus, buffalo milk is an ideal raw material for the production of butter and cheese. If for the production of 1 kg of butter you need 30-35 liters of cow's milk, then buffalo milk will need only 10-15 liters. Thus, low milk yields of buffaloes are fully compensated
  2. Undemanding to feed. Cheap roughage, which is not suitable for cows, is eaten by buffaloes with great eagerness, which greatly reduces the cost of their maintenance. Especially in winter.
  3. Good health. Buffaloes are significantly less susceptible infectious diseases KRS. In addition, they can live in humid, hot climates, making them the preferred type of cattle in swampy areas. Especially in the south of the country.

However, the much greater popularity of cows in Russia has quite objective reasons.

Buffaloes have a number of significant drawbacks, due to which the vast majority of farmers prefer cows:

  1. Small milk yields. Under similar conditions of keeping and nutrition, buffaloes give milk 2-3 times less than meat and dairy breeds of cows, and 4-6 times less than dairy ones.
  2. Tasteless meat. Although breeders have bred new buffalo breeds over the past decades that have vastly improved meat flavor characteristics, beef is still much tastier.
  3. Complex nature. According to the reviews of many cattle breeders who had experience in breeding buffaloes, these animals are still more wayward and capricious than cows.

Notable Facts

  • The famous Italian mozzarella cheese the right recipe made from buffalo milk.
  • In India, where the cow is a sacred animal for the majority of the population and is not subject to slaughter for meat, on sale, however, you can often find beef and veal. This paradox is explained by the fact that the religious prohibition does not apply to buffaloes, therefore, under the name beef, nothing more than buffalo meat is sold. It differs from real beef in taste, besides, buffalo is much tougher than beef.
  • In a number of places in Southeast Asia (some areas of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos), domestic buffalo fights are among the favorite folk amusements.
  • The tallest buffaloes are prepared for competitions for a long time, trained and fattened in a special way.
  • buffalo fight occurs without human intervention - the bulls are brought to the site one against the other and butt until one runs away from the battlefield or shows undoubted signs of defeat (for example, falls at the feet of the winner). The fight is very rarely bloody - usually buffaloes do not cause any serious damage to each other. In recent decades, buffalo fights have also become a popular spectacle for tourists.

Video

Bulls are the largest of the bovids. These are powerful and strong animals. Their massive body rests on strong limbs, a heavy, wide, low-set head in both males and females is crowned with horns, thick and short in some species, flattened and long in others. The shape of the horns is also very variable in different representatives: in some cases, the horns resemble a simple crescent, in others they are S-shaped. There are no interhoof glands. The tail is relatively thin, with a brush at the end. The coat is short, close to the body, or thick and shaggy.


Members of the subfamily are distributed in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. The subfamily includes 4 genera with 10 species, of which one in the wild was exterminated by man in historical time, but exists in the form of numerous breeds of domestic cows, which were also brought to South America and Australia.


Anoa, or pygmy buffalo(Bubalus depressicornis), is the smallest of modern wild bulls: the height at the withers is 60-100 barely, the weight is 150-300 kg. The small head and slender legs make the anoa look somewhat like an antelope. The horns are short (up to 39 cm), almost straight, slightly flattened, bent up and back.



The coloration is dark brown or blackish, with white markings on the muzzle, throat and legs. Calves with thick golden-brown fur. Distributed only on the island of Sulawesi. Many researchers have classified anoa as a separate genus of anoa (Apoa).


Anoa inhabit marshy forests and jungles, where they live alone or in pairs, rarely forming small groups. They feed on herbaceous vegetation, leaves, shoots and fruits that they can pick up on the ground; often eat aquatic plants. Anoas usually graze in the early morning, and spend the hot part of the day near the water, where they willingly take mud baths and swim. They move at a slow pace, but in case of danger they switch to a fast, albeit clumsy, gallop. The breeding season is not associated with a specific season of the year. Pregnancy lasts 275-315 days.


Anoa do not tolerate agricultural landscape transformation well. In addition, they are heavily hunted for their meat and hide, which some local tribes use to make ritual dance attire. Therefore, the number of anoa is catastrophically reduced, and now the species is on the verge of extinction. Fortunately, they breed relatively easily in zoos, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature maintains a stud book of captive animals in order to create at least a minimum reserve fund of animals of this species.


Indian buffalo(Bubalus arpee), on the contrary, is one of the largest bulls: the height at the withers is up to 180 cm, the weight of males is up to 1000 kg. The flattened, backward-turned horns of the Indian buffalo are huge - they reach a length of 194 cm. The body is covered with sparse and coarse blackish-brown hair


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The range of the Indian buffalo has been greatly reduced already in historical time: if relatively recently it covered a vast territory, from North Africa and Mesopotamia to Central China, now it is limited to small areas of Nepal, Assam, Bengal, the central provinces of India, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and south of China. The Indian buffalo has survived in the far north of Ceylon and the northern part of Kalimantan. The number of Indian buffalo, despite conservation measures, continues to decline. Most of the wild buffalo remained in the reserves of India. So, in the wonderful reserve of Kaziranga (Assam) in 1969, there were about 700 animals. The reason for the decline in numbers is not only poaching, although it plays a significant role. The main trouble is that wild buffalo easily interbreed with feral domestic ones and the “pure” species, as such, is lost.


On the island of Mindoro (Philippines) in the special nature reserve Iglit lives a special, dwarf subspecies, slightly larger than anoa, which has a special name tamarou(B. a. mindorensis). Unfortunately, the tamarou is threatened with complete extinction: by 1969, about 100 heads had survived.


The Indian buffalo inhabits heavily swampy jungles and river valleys overgrown with dense shrubs. It is more closely associated with water than other representatives of the subfamily, and does not occur outside river systems or swamps. In the diet of the Indian buffalo, aquatic and coastal plants play an even greater role than terrestrial grasses. Buffaloes graze at night and at dawn, and all day, starting from 7-8 o'clock in the morning, they lie, immersed in liquid mud.


Indian buffaloes are usually kept in small herds, which include an old bull, two or three young bulls and several cows with calves. The hierarchy of subordination in the herd, if observed, is not too strict. The old bull often keeps somewhat aloof from the rest of the animals, but when fleeing from danger, he follows the herd and with blows of the horns returns the stray cows. When moving, a certain order is observed: old females go in the head, calves in the middle, and the rearguard is made up of young bulls and cows. In case of danger, the herd usually hides in the thickets, describes a semicircle and, stopping, awaits the pursuer on its own tracks.


The Indian buffalo is a serious adversary. Particularly quarrelsome, aggressive and dangerous are old bulls, who are driven out of the herd by the young, and who are forced to lead the life of hermits. They often lead away herds of domestic buffaloes, and when pursued, they even attack tame elephants. On the contrary, herds of buffalo willingly rest side by side with rhinos. Tigers rarely attack buffaloes, and even then only young ones. In turn, the buffaloes, sensing the trail of the tiger, go berserk and pursue the predator in close formation until they overtake or lose the trail. Cases of death of tigers were noted repeatedly.


Like most inhabitants of the tropical zone, the periods of rut and calving in Indian buffaloes are not associated with a specific season. Pregnancy lasts 300-340 days, after which the female brings only one calf. A newborn buffalo is dressed in fluffy yellow-brown fur. The period of milk feeding lasts 6-9 months.


Man domesticated the buffalo in ancient times, presumably in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Along with the zebu, the domestic buffalo is one of the most important animals in the tropics. According to the most rough estimate, its livestock in South Asia now reaches 75 million. The domestic buffalo has been introduced to Japan, Hawaii, Central and South America, and Australia. There are a lot of domestic buffaloes in the UAR, Sudan and East African countries, including Zanzibar, and on the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar. Buffalo has been cultivated for a very long time in Southern Europe and here in Transcaucasia. The buffalo is used mainly as a draft force, especially in the cultivation of rice fields. It is also promising dairy breeding buffaloes. In Italy, with stall keeping, the annual milk production per cow is 1970 liters. Buffalo milk contains 8% fat, significantly exceeds cow's milk in protein content. In India, where cows are sacred animals, the buffalo does not fall under this category and constitutes the main source of meat products. The domestic buffalo is extremely unpretentious, resistant to many diseases of cattle, and has a peaceful disposition.


African buffalo(Syncerus caffer) is the most powerful of modern wild bulls. A powerful body, relatively low muscular legs, a blunt, short, low-set head on a strong neck, and small, as if blind eyes, looking suspiciously from under a canopy of horns, give the animal an indestructible and gloomy look. The horns of the African buffalo are brought together by wide bases, forming a continuous armor on the forehead, then they diverge down - to the sides and, finally, bend up and slightly inward with sharp smooth ends. The distance between the ends of the horns sometimes exceeds a meter. In size, the African buffalo is somewhat inferior to the Indian one, but due to its denser build it surpasses it in mass: old males reach 1200 kg. The body of the buffalo is covered with sparse coarse hair, which almost does not cover the dark brown or black skin.


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This applies, however, only to animals living in the savannahs of East, Southeast and Southwest Africa. Buffalo, found from Senegal to the middle reaches of the Nile, form another, somewhat smaller and short-horned subspecies.


Finally, the forests of the Congo basin and the coast of the Gulf of Guinea are inhabited by a third subspecies, the so-called red buffalo, which is distinguished by its very small size (height at the withers 100-130 cm), bright red thick hairline and even weaker horns.


The habitats of the African buffalo are diverse: they can be found in all landscapes, from tropical forests to arid scrub savannahs. In the mountains, the African buffalo rises to a height of 3000 m or more above sea level. However, everywhere it is closely connected with water and does not live far from water bodies.


In addition, the buffalo does not get along in the agricultural landscape. Therefore, despite a significant area of ​​​​distribution, the buffalo has survived in large numbers only in a few places, mainly in national parks. Only there he forms herds numbering hundreds of animals. For example, in the Lake Manyara National Park (Tanzania), a herd of 450 heads is constantly kept. Usually there are groups of 20-30 animals that gather in herds only during the dry period. Such groups are different in composition: in some cases, these are cows with calves, in others - only bulls, and finally, in still others - bulls with cows. Old strong bulls are often kept alone or in pairs.


In the way of life of the African buffalo, there are many features that make it related to the Indian. It feeds on grassy vegetation, often eats coastal plants and only occasionally branches and foliage, grazes from evening to dawn, and usually spends the day standing in the shade of a tree or lying in swamp mud or reed beds. Buffaloes are cautious animals. Cows with calves are especially sensitive. A slight noise or an unfamiliar smell is enough to make the whole herd alert and freeze in a defensive position: males in front, females with calves behind. The heads of animals at such a moment are raised, the horns are thrown back; an instant - and the herd unanimously turns to flight. Despite the heavy build, the buffalo is very agile and fast: on the run, it can reach speeds of up to 57 km / h. As studies in the Congo have shown, adult males living alone have an individual area to which they are very attached. They rest daily, graze, make transitions in strictly certain places site and leave it only when they begin to be disturbed or there is a lack of food. If a herd of foreign buffaloes enters the site, the owner does not show aggression, but adjoins it and even plays the role of a leader. However, when the herd leaves, he remains on the site again.


With the beginning of the rut, such loners join the herds of cows. Ritual fights for dominance in the herd then arise between the bulls. The first phase of the battle is intimidation: rivals with their heads held high, snorting and blasting the ground with their hooves, head towards each other and stop a few meters away, threateningly shaking their horns. Then, bowing their heads, the opponents rush forward and collide with massive horn bases with a deafening crack. After several such blows, the defeated one turns and runs away.


Pregnancy lasts 10-11 months; mass calving, when cows retire from the common herd, falls at the end of the dry period and the beginning of the rainy period. The calf suckles its mother for about six months.


Buffaloes have few enemies. Only lions regularly collect tribute from them, attacking cows and young animals in a whole pride. Of the three cases in which we ourselves were lucky enough to see lions for food, in two the victim was a buffalo. At the same time, lions do not dare to attack old bulls, and even more so with small forces. There are many cases when buffaloes, acting as a friendly herd, put lions to flight, seriously injured them or even killed them. A leopard occasionally attacks stray calves.


Buffaloes do not associate with other ungulates. But you can always see Egyptian herons near them, which often sit on the backs of grazing or resting buffaloes. Not uncommon on buffaloes and drags.


Curiously, buffaloes tend to have a sense of mutual assistance. The Belgian zoologist Verheyen observed how two bulls tried to raise their mortally wounded brother to their feet, prompted to do so by his dying moo. When this failed, both swiftly attacked the hunter, who barely managed to escape.


A lot has been written in hunting books about the fact that the buffalo is dangerous to humans and ferocious. Indeed, many people died from the horns and hooves of the buffalo. The wounded buffalo, running away, describes a full circle and hides at its own track. In the thick of thickets, a suddenly attacked person usually does not even have time to shoot. However, such provoked self-defense can hardly be regarded as a special aggressiveness or ferocity.


The man has been chasing the buffalo for a long time. The Maasai, who do not recognize the meat of most wild animals, make an exception for the buffalo, considering it to be a relative of the domestic cow. Of great value to Africans was buffalo skin, from which battle shields were made. Yes, and among European and American hunters-athletes, the head of a buffalo is considered an honorary trophy to this day. However, the epizootics of rinderpest, brought to Africa at the end of the last century with the cattle of white settlers, produced much greater devastation among buffaloes.


Genus of real bulls(Bos) counts 4 modern look common in Asia.


Gaur(V. gaurus) stands out among the bulls with its special beauty, size and some kind of completeness of addition. If the appearance of an African buffalo can symbolize indomitable power, then the gaur personifies calm confidence and strength. The height at the withers of old males reaches 213 cm, weight -800-1000 kg. Thick and massive horns from the base are bent somewhat down and back, and then up and slightly inward. Their length in males reaches 100-115 cm, and the distance between the ends is 120 cm. The forehead is wide, flat. Gau-ra females are much smaller, their horns are shorter and thinner. The hairline is dense, short, adjacent to the body, the color is brilliant black, less often dark brown, on the legs of animals there are white "stockings"


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Although the range of the gaur covers a vast territory, including India, Nepal, Burma, Assam and the peninsulas of Indochina and Malacca, the number of this bull is small. In fact, it is preserved only in national parks and reserves. Not only hunters are to blame for this, but also frequent epizootics of foot-and-mouth disease, plague and other diseases. True, a strict ban on hunting throughout the territory and energetic quarantine supervision seem to have marked a certain turning point in the position of the gaur, and its numbers have increased somewhat in recent years.


Gaur inhabits woodlands, preferring mountain forests up to 2000 m above sea level. However, it avoids continuous forests with dense undergrowth and keeps in lighted areas near glades. However, gaura can also be found in the bamboo jungle, as well as on grassy plains with shrubs. He strongly avoids cultivated lands. The favorite food of the gaur is fresh grass, young bamboo shoots, and shrub shoots. He needs regular watering and bathing, but, unlike buffaloes, he does not take mud baths. Gauras graze early in the morning and before sunset, and sleep at night and at noon.


Gauras are kept in small groups, which usually include 1-2 adult bulls, 2-3 young bulls, 5-10 cows with calves and teenagers. Along with this, groups consisting only of young bulls are not uncommon. Adult strong males often leave the herd and lead the life of hermits.


In the herd of gaurs, a certain order is always observed. Calves usually keep together, and the whole " Kindergarten"is under the vigilant protection of mothers. The leader of the herd is more often an old cow, which, when the herd runs away, is in the head or, conversely, in the rearguard. Old bulls, as observations have shown, do not participate in the defense and do not even respond to the alarm signal, which sounds like a shrill snort. Hearing such a snort, the rest of the herd members freeze, raising their heads, and if the source of the alarm is established, the nearest animal emits a rumbling moo, according to which the herd assumes battle order.


The gaur's method of attack is exceptionally interesting. Unlike other bulls, he attacks not with his forehead, but sideways, and lowers his head low and crouches somewhat on his hind legs, striking with one horn to the side. It is noticed that in old bulls one of the horns is noticeably more worn than the other. Zoologist J. Schaller believes that this style of attack developed from the usual posture of imposing and menacing for howts, when the animal demonstrates its huge silhouette in the most impressive foreshortening. By the way, gaur fights, as a rule, do not go beyond demonstrations.


The rutting period of the Gaurs begins in November and ends in March - April. Single males at this time join the herds, and fights are not uncommon between them. The peculiar invocative roar of the gaura during the rut is similar to the roar of stag deer and can be heard in the evening or at night at a distance of more than one and a half kilometers. Pregnancy lasts 270-280 days, calving occurs more often in August - September. At the time of calving, the cow is removed from the herd and in the first days is extremely cautious and aggressive. Usually she brings one calf, rarely twins. The lactation period ends at the ninth month of the calf's life.


Gaurs willingly unite in herds with sambars and other ungulates. They are almost not afraid of tigers, although tigers occasionally attack young animals. The special friendship of gaurs with wild chickens is described by the zoologist Olivier, who in 1955 managed to observe how a young rooster daily cleaned the festering, damaged horns of a female gaur for two weeks for two weeks. Despite the pain of this operation, the cow, at the sight of a rooster, laid her head on the ground and turned the horn towards the "nurse".


Guyal is nothing but a domesticated gaur. But as a result of domestication, the gayal has changed a lot: it is much smaller, lighter and weaker than the gaur, its muzzle is shorter, the forehead is wider, the horns are relatively short, very thick, straight, conical. Guyale is more phlegmatic and calmer than gaur. At the same time, gayals are not kept in the same way as domestic cows in Europe. They always graze in complete freedom, and when you need to catch a gayal, they lure him in a piece rock salt or tie a cow in the forest. Gayal is used for meat, in some places it is used as a draft force, and among some peoples of South Asia it serves as a kind of money or is used as a sacrificial animal. Gayala cows often mate with wild gaurs.


banteng(V. javanicus) - the second wild representative of the bulls themselves, inhabits the islands of Kalimantan, Java and the peninsulas of Indochina and Malacca west to the Brahmaputra. Everywhere, banteng numbers are low and falling. According to the latest information, no more than 400 animals have survived in Java; in some areas of Kalimantan, the banteng has been completely exterminated.


The banteng is noticeably smaller than the gaur: the height at the withers is 130-170 cm, the weight is 500-900 kg. The banteng is leaner, lighter and taller. The dorsal crest characteristic of the gaur is absent in the banteng. The horns are flattened at the base, first diverging to the sides, and then more or less steeply bent upwards. The color of the banteng is variable. Most often, bulls are dark brown or black with white “stockings” and “mirror”, while females are reddish brown.


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The banteng's favorite habitats are swampy forests with well-developed undergrowth, grassy plains with shrubs, bamboo jungles or light mountain forests with clearings. In the mountains, the banteng rises up to 2000 m. Like the gaur, the banteng avoids the cultural landscape and is more and more pushed into the depths of forests and mountains.


Banteng usually live in groups, which include two or three young bulls and up to two dozen cows, calves and growing young. Old strong bulls keep separately and adjoin the herd only during the rut. In terms of lightness and beauty of movements, these bulls are not inferior to many antelopes. Like the gaur, the banteng feeds on fresh grass, young shoots and leaves of shrubs, and bamboo sprouts. Pregnancy lasts 270-280 days, the newborn calf is dressed in yellow-brown fur, it sucks mother's milk until the age of nine months.


In Bali and Java, the banteng has been domesticated for a very long time. By crossing the banteng with the zebu, unpretentious cattle were obtained, which are used on the numerous islands of Indonesia as draft power and as a source of meat and milk.


In the early 1930s, the director of the Paris Zoo, A. Urben, traveled to northern Cambodia. In the house of the veterinarian Savel, he, to his greatest amazement, saw horns that could not belong to any of the known wild bulls. Inquiries did not shed light on this find, and Urbain was forced to leave with nothing. A year later, he received a live calf of this bull from Savel. Based on this specimen, which lived in the zoo until 1940, Urbain described a new species, naming it in Latin in honor of Dr. Savel. This is how I got into science. kouprey(V. sauveli). It was a sensational discovery.


Kouprey smaller than the gaur, but somewhat larger than the banteng: the height of the bulls at the withers is up to 190 cm, and the weight is up to 900 kg. The build is lighter, more graceful than that of the gaura. Kouprey's legs are higher. He has a strongly developed dewlap, a heavy skin fold on the throat, reaching to the chest. The horns of the kouprey are long, rather thin, sharp, similar to the horns of a yak, from the base they go first obliquely to the sides and back, then forward and upward, while the ends are bent inward. The color is dark brown, and the legs, like those of the gaur, are white.


Kouprey horns have a curious feature: in old males, not far from the sharp end of the horn, there is a corolla, consisting of split parts of the horn sheath. It is formed during the growth of the horn, and this phenomenon is known for other bovids. However, for everyone, this corolla is quickly erased, and only in the kouprey it persists throughout life. It is assumed that the complex shape of the horns does not allow the animal to gore, as other bulls do when excited, and that is why the corolla, which is the remains of a “children's” horn, is not erased.


The range of the kouprey is limited to a small area on both sides of the Mekong, administratively included in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.


According to estimates made in 1957, 650-850 animals lived in this area. Surveys conducted by the zoologist P. Pfeffer in 1970 showed that only 30-70 heads remained in Cambodia. Perhaps, in the border regions of Laos and China, in the forests of Sasinpan, several dozen more heads have been preserved. One way or another, kouprey should be classified among the most rare species bulls.


Information about the lifestyle of the kouprey is scarce. Like banteng, it inhabits forests with dense undergrowth, park savannas with bushes scattered here and there, and light forests with clearings. On pastures, herds of koupreys often unite with bantengs. However, both species in the united herds do not completely mix, maintaining a certain distance. The herd consists of an old bull and several cows and calves. As a rule, one of the cows leads the herd, and the bull goes in the rear guard. Some adult bulls, like the gaur, live alone. The rut of the koupreys falls in April - May. The calving takes place in December - January. Cows with calves retire from the herd and return after a month or two. As observations have shown, koupreys do not take mud baths. They are very sensitive, cautious, and at the slightest danger they try to leave unnoticed. For the first time in 1969, the zoologist P. Pfeffer managed to photograph the kouprey in nature.


Yak(V. mutus) stands apart among the actual bulls, and sometimes experts distinguish it into a special subgenus (Poophagus). This is a very large animal with a long body, relatively short legs and a heavy, low-set head. The height at the withers is up to 2 m, the weight of old bulls is up to 1000 kg. At the withers, the yak has a small hump, which makes the back seem strongly sloping. The horns are long, but not thick, widely spaced, from the base directed to the sides, and then bent forward and upward; their length is up to 95 cm, and the distance between the ends is 90 cm. The most remarkable feature in the structure of the yak is the hairline. If on most of the body the hair is thick and even, then on the legs, sides and belly it is long and shaggy, forming a kind of continuous “skirt”, almost reaching the ground. The tail is also covered with long coarse hair and resembles a horse's.



The range of the yak is limited to Tibet. It is possible that earlier it was more widespread and reached the Sayan and Altai, however, the information on which such assumptions are based may refer to a domestic, secondarily feral yak.


The yak inhabits treeless alpine gravelly semi-deserts intersected by valleys with swamps and lakes. It rises to the mountains up to 5200 m. In August and September, yaks go to the border of eternal snows, and spend the winter in the valleys, being content with the meager grassy vegetation that they can get from under the snow. They need water and only extreme cases eat snow. Yaks usually graze in the morning and before sunset, and sleep at night, hiding from the wind behind a rock or in a hollow. Thanks to the "skirt" and dense fur, yaks easily endure the harsh climate of the Tibetan highlands. When the animal lies down on the snow, the "skirt", like a mattress, protects it from the cold from below. According to the observations of the zoologist E. Schaefer, who made three expeditions to Tibet, yaks even in cold weather like to swim, and during snowstorms they stand motionless for hours, turning their croup to the wind.


Yaks do not form large herds. Most often they keep in groups of 3-5 animals, and only the young gather in somewhat larger herds. Old bulls lead a solitary lifestyle. However, as the remarkable traveler N. M. Przhevalsky, who first described the wild yak, testifies, a hundred years ago, herds of yak cows with small calves reached several hundred or even thousands of heads.


It should be noted that adult yaks are well armed, very strong and ferocious. Wolves decide to attack them only in exceptional cases in a large pack and in deep snow. In turn, bull yaks, without hesitation, attack the person chasing them, especially if the animal is wounded. The attacking yak holds its head and tail high with a fluttering plume of hair. Of the sense organs, the yak has the best developed sense of smell. Vision and hearing are much weaker.


The rut of yaks is in September - October. At this time, bulls join groups of cows. Violent fights take place between the bulls, completely unlike the ritualized fights of most other bovids. Opponents during the fight try to hit each other with a horn in the side. Truth, death these fights are rare, and the case is limited to wounds, sometimes very serious. During the rutting period, the invocative roar of the yak is heard, at other times it is exceptionally silent.


Calving in yaks occurs in June, after a nine-month pregnancy. The calf is not separated from its mother for about a year.


Like most other wild bulls, the yak belongs to the category of animals that are rapidly disappearing from our planet. Perhaps his situation is especially deplorable. The yak cannot stand the places mastered by people. In addition, the yak is an enviable prey for hunters, and direct persecution completes what the pastoralists began, pushing the yaks from their pastures. The yak is included in the Red Book, but the low availability of its habitats makes it almost impossible to control its protection.


Even in antiquity, in the 1st millennium BC. e., as domesticated by man. Domestic yaks are smaller and more phlegmatic than wild ones, hornless individuals are often found among them, color is very variable. Yak is used in Tibet and other parts of Central Asia, Mongolia, Tuva, Altai, Pamir and Tien Shan. The yak is an indispensable beast of burden in the highlands. It gives excellent milk, meat and wool without requiring maintenance. Domestic yak is crossed with cows, and the resulting khainiki very comfortable as draft animals.


Unfortunately, only in the past tense can we talk about byke tour(V. primigenius). The last representative of this species died less than 350 years ago, in 1627. In folklore, in old books, in ancient painting and sculpture, the tour, however, has survived to this day, and we can not only clearly imagine its appearance, but also speak with great confidence about its former distribution and lifestyle.


The tour was much slimmer and lighter than its relatives, although it almost did not yield to them in size.



Tall-legged, muscular, with a straight back and a high-set head on a powerful neck, with sharp and long light horns, the tour was unusually beautiful. The bulls were dull black with a narrow white "belt" along the back, the cows were bay, reddish-brown.


There was a tour of almost all of Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. However, in Africa, it was exterminated as early as 2400 BC. e., in Mesopotamia - by 600 BC. e., in Central and Western Europe - by 1400. The longest tours stayed in Poland and Lithuania, where they have already lived under protection for the last centuries, almost in the position of park animals.


In the last period of its existence in Europe, the tours lived in damp, swampy forests. In all likelihood, attachment to the forests was forced. Even earlier, tours, apparently, inhabited forest-steppes and sparse forests, interspersed with meadows, often even entered real steppes. It is possible that they migrated to the forests only in winter, preferring meadow pastures in summer. They ate grass, shoots and leaves of trees and shrubs, acorns. Rutting at tours took place in September, and calving - in the spring. Tours lived in small groups and alone, for the winter they huddled in larger herds. They had a wild and evil disposition, were not afraid of humans and were very aggressive. They had no enemies: the wolves were powerless against the aurochs. Mobility, lightness and strength made the tour really a very dangerous animal. Prince Vladimir Monomakh, who left behind interesting notes and was an excellent hunter, reports that “there are two tours of me on roses (horns) and with a horse.” The fact that during the excavations of Paleolithic and even Neolithic sites almost no bones of aurochs are found, some researchers tend to explain the difficulty and danger of hunting for it.


The tour, so to speak, rendered the man an enormous, invaluable service. It was he who turned out to be the ancestor of all modern breeds of cattle - the main source of meat, milk and skins. The domestication of the aurochs took place at the dawn of modern mankind, apparently sometime between 8000 and 6000 BC. BC e. Some breeds of domestic cows, such as Camargue cattle and Spanish fighting bulls, retain the main features of the wild tour. They are easily traced in other breeds: in English park and Scottish cattle, in Hungarian steppe cows, in gray Ukrainian cattle.


Regarding the place of domestication of the tour, information is contradictory. Apparently, this process proceeded independently and non-simultaneously in different places: in the Mediterranean, Central Europe, South Asia. In all likelihood, domestic bulls were originally cult animals, and then they began to be used as a draft force. The use of cows for milk came a little later.


Cattle plays a huge role in the economy of modern mankind and is distributed all over the world. It is not surprising, therefore, that, based on special needs and climatic conditions, a person brought out a very large number of breeds.


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In the Soviet Union, in Western Europe and North America, dairy and combined breeds are cultivated, less often beef. Among the dairy breeds, the Yaroslavl, Kholmogory, Red Danish, Red Steppe, East Frisian, Angelnskaya are especially famous. The annual milk yield of these cows is 3000 - 4000 liters with a fat content of about 4%. Combined breeds are bred even more widely, giving both dairy and meat products. Combined breeds include Kostroma, Simmental, Red Gorbatov, Schwyz, Shorthorn, Red and Pied German. Pure beef cattle breeding in Europe and North America is practiced in less on a large scale. The main meat breeds can be considered the Hereford, Astrakhan, Aberdinos-Angus. Predominantly beef cattle breeding is developed in South America, Argentina and Uruguay, where local, relatively unproductive, but unpretentious breeds are cultivated.


dominated in South and Southeast Asia humpbacked zebu cattle also introduced to Africa and South America. Zebu much less productive than European cows (the annual milk yield from one zebu does not exceed 180 liters), but they are faster on the go, and therefore are often used as draft power and even for riding. In India, zebu cows are sacred animals and should not be killed. This leads to a paradoxical fact: for 500 million people there are about 160 million cows that give no meat and almost no milk.


Highly interesting cattle watussi one of the East African tribes. In bulls and cows of this breed, colossal horns attract attention, the girth of which at the base reaches half a meter. This cattle has a purely cult significance, making up the wealth and glory of the owner. The cattle of the Masai, Samburu, Karamoja and other pastoral tribes are almost equally unproductive. In addition to milk, these tribes also use blood, which they take during their lifetime, having made a puncture in the neck vein with an arrow. This operation is harmless to livestock; from a bull they receive 4-5 liters of blood per month, from a cow - no more than half a liter.


About 40 years ago, two zoologists, the brothers Lutz and Heinz Heck, started the so-called restoration of the wild tour in parallel at the Berlin and Munich zoos. They proceeded from the premise that the genes of the aurochs were scattered among its domestic descendants and for the revival of the aurochs it was only necessary to put them together again. Through painstaking selection work with Camargue cattle, Spanish bulls, English park, Corsican, Hungarian steppe, Scottish cattle and other primitive breeds, they managed to get animals that are outwardly almost indistinguishable from the tour. The bulls have a typical black color, characteristic horns and a light “belt” along back, cows and calves are bay. The fact that the Heck brothers were able to restore even a sharp sexual dimorphism of color, which was not available in any of the original breeds, undoubtedly indicates a deep restructuring of the hereditary code in the resulting animal. But the "restored" tour is only a form of livestock.


To the genus bison(Bison) also includes very large and powerful bulls, which are characterized by short, thick, but sharp horns, high, humpbacked, withers, sloping back, thick mane and beard of long hair


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In physique, a sharp disproportion between a powerful front and a relatively weak croup is striking. The mass of bulls sometimes reaches 850-1000 kg, the height at the withers is up to 2 m. The females are much smaller. The genus includes 2 systematically close and outwardly similar species: European bison(V. bonasus) and american bison (B. bison). Both species literally miraculously did not share the fate of the tour, and although the immediate danger has passed, their future is entirely in the hands of man.


Even in historical times, the bison lived in most of Europe, and in the Caucasus there lived a special subspecies (B. bonasus caucasicus), which was distinguished by a lighter build. The bison inhabited sparse deciduous forests with clearings, forest-steppe and even steppe with floodplain and watershed forests. As more and more space was settled by humans, the bison retreated into the depths of untouched forests. In the steppe zone of Eastern Europe, the bison disappeared in the 16th - 17th centuries, in the forest-steppe - at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. In Western Europe, it was destroyed much earlier, for example, in France - in the 6th century. Driven by human persecution, the bison survived for the longest time in continuous, partly swampy or mountain forests. However, even here he did not find salvation: in 1762 the last bison was killed in the Radnan mountains in Romania, by 1793 he was destroyed in the mountain forests of Saxony. And only in two places - in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and in the Western Caucasus - the bison in its natural state survived until the beginning of the 20th century. First World War, Civil War, intervention and years of devastation had a tragic effect on the remaining population of bison: despite the creation of the Caucasian Reserve, despite the protection in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the herd of bison quickly melted. The denouement came soon. “The last free bison of Belovezhskaya Pushcha was killed on February 9, 1921 by the former forest forester Bartolomeus Shpakovich: may his name, like the name of Herostratus, be preserved for centuries!” - wrote Erna Mohr, a prominent German zoologist. The Caucasian bison also survived for a short time: in 1923 (according to other sources - in 1927), the last of them fell victim to poachers in the Tigina tract. Bison as a species in natural conditions has ceased to exist.


Fortunately, a certain number of bison remained in zoos and private estates by this time. In 1923, the International Society for the Preservation of Bison was established. It made an inventory of the remaining bison: there were only 56 of them, of which 27 were males and 29 were females. Painstaking and time-consuming work began to restore the population, first in Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Poland, in zoos in Europe, and later in our country, in the Caucasus and in Askania-Nova. An international stud book was published, each animal was assigned a number. The Second World War interrupted this work, some of the animals died in a catastrophe that hit the world. However, at the end of the war, the struggle to save the bison resumed with new force. In 1946 bison began to be bred on the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which belonged to the Soviet Union (by that time, 17 bison remained on Polish territory, which were collected in a special nursery). In 1948, the Central Bison Nursery was organized in the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve, where part of the bison was transferred to semi-free keeping. From here, part of the breeding material was brought to other reserves of the country (Khopersky, Mordovsky, Oksky, etc.). In Belovezhskaya Pushcha and in the Caucasian Reserve, it has become possible to transfer bison to free keeping, and the Caucasian herd now numbers about 700 heads (some of the animals, however, are of hybrid origin). The total number of purebred bison in all reserves and nurseries of the world in 1969 is more than 900 animals. Outside protected areas, however, there are no bison anywhere.


Modern bison are real forest animals. However, they stick to areas with clearings interspersed with small forests, wooded river valleys with water meadows, and in the mountains they prefer the upper belt of forest on the border with subalpine meadows. Depending on the vegetation vegetation in summer and the state of snow cover in winter, bison make seasonal migrations, but their scope is relatively small. They feed on herbaceous and woody-shrub (leaves, shoots, bark) vegetation, and the composition of their food plants is wide (at least 400 species), varies in different habitats and changes seasonally. Almost everywhere in the winter, bison use artificial feeding from hay, regularly go to salt licks. Bison graze in the morning and evening, going out to the meadows, and spend the middle of the day lying in the forest, chewing their gum. In hot weather bison go to water twice a day. They like to ride in dry, loose ground, but they do not take mud baths. Taking food out from under the fine snow, bison make a hole in it with their muzzle; in deep snow, they often first break the snow with a hoof, and then deepen and expand the hole with their muzzle.


Despite the mighty addition, the movements of the bison are light and fast. He gallops very quickly, easily overcomes a fence 2 m high, deftly and fearlessly moves along steep slopes. Of the sense organs, smell and hearing are of primary importance, which are well developed; vision is relatively poor. The voice of the bison is a jerky low grunt, with irritation - rumbling, with fright - snorting. In general, bison are silent.


Like other bulls, bison live in small groups, which include females with calves and young people under the age of 3 years or adult males. Old bulls often lead a solitary lifestyle. In winter, groups gather in larger herds, sometimes up to 30-40 animals, but by spring such herds break up again.


Seeing a person or smelling him, bison usually quickly run away and hide in the thicket of the forest. When the wind blows away from the animals, they cannot smell the person and try to see it. Being short-sighted, like all forest animals, bison line up in one line with curved flanks, peering intently. This is often taken by people as preparation for a full front attack. However, soon the animals turn sharply and disappear into the forest.


The bison rut in the past took place in August - the first half of September, but now, with semi-free keeping and feeding, its clear seasonal confinement has been violated. During the rutting season, adult bulls join the herds of females, driving out adolescents older than two years, and guard the harem, which usually has from 2 to 6 cows. Animals at this time are very excited, often fighting among themselves. Fights between strong bulls are infrequent; issues of dominance in most cases are resolved by demonstrating threatening postures, avoiding a fight, which is very dangerous with the gigantic strength of these animals. However, cases of real battles are known, which end in a serious injury and even death of one of the rivals. During the rut, the bulls almost do not graze and become very thin, they emit a strong smell, reminiscent of musky.


Pregnancy in bison lasts 262-267 days. The cow leaves the herd shortly before calving, but usually not far. A newborn bison weighs 22-23 kg. An hour after the birth, he is already on his feet, and another half an hour later he can follow his mother. A cow with a calf joins the herd in a few days, when the calf finally gets stronger. The bison is constantly on guard with the little one and, seeing a person, arranges a demonstration of the attack. She quickly rushes towards the enemy, but, not reaching a few meters, she stops in her tracks, and, turning sharply, runs back to the calf. She feeds the calf with milk up to 5 months, sometimes up to a year, but he starts eating grass already at the age of 19-22 days.


There are practically no natural enemies in adult bison, although wolves can be a danger to young people. Bison often died from epizootics brought by livestock (foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax), from helminthiases and other diseases. They also endured hard snowy winters, suffering greatly from starvation. The longest life expectancy of bulls, according to observations in nurseries, is 22 years, cows - 27 years.


The bison is a wonderful monument of nature, and its preservation is the duty of mankind, which has brought the bison to the brink of death.


Buffalo(V. bison) - the closest relative of the bison - common in North America. Outwardly, it is very similar to the bison, but more massive because of the even lower set head and especially thick and long hair covering the head, neck, shoulders, hump and partially front legs. The hair reaches a length of 50 cm and forms a continuous tangled mane, almost covering the eyes and hanging from the chin and throat in the form of a shaggy long beard. The bison's horns are short, shaped like bison's horns, but usually blunt. The tail is shorter than that of a bison. The mass of old bulls reaches 1000 kg, the height at the withers is up to 190 cm; cows are much smaller and lighter. Especially large and long-horned are the so-called wood bison living in the north of the range, in the forest zone. They are isolated in subspecies B. b. athabascae.



The extermination of bison had another goal - to doom the Indian tribes to starvation, which put up fierce resistance to the newcomers. The goal has been reached. The winter of 1886/87 turned out to be fatal for the Indians, it was unheard of hungry and claimed thousands of lives.


By 1889 it was all over. In a vast area where herds of millions grazed, only 835 bison remained, including a herd of 200 animals that escaped in Yellowstone National Park.


And yet it was not too late. In December 1905, the American Bison Society was founded. Literally in the last days, in the last hours of the bison's existence, society managed to turn the wheel of fortune. First in Oklahoma, then in Montana, Nebraska and Dakota, special reserves were established, where bison were safe. By 1910, the number of bison had doubled, and after another 10 years there were about 9,000 of them.


A movement to save the bison was also launched in Canada. In 1907, a herd of 709 heads was bought from private hands and moved to Wayne Wright (Alberta), in 1915, Wood Buffalo National Park was established for the few surviving wood bison, between the Great Slave Lake and Lake Athabasca. Unfortunately, there in 1925-1928. more than 6,000 steppe bison were brought in, which brought tuberculosis, and most importantly, freely interbreeding with wood bison, threatened to “absorb” it as an independent subspecies. Only in 1957, in a remote and hard-to-reach northwestern section of the park, a herd of purebred wood bison of about 200 head was discovered. In 1963, 18 bison were caught from this herd and transported to a special reserve across the Mackenzie River, not far from Fort Providence, where in 1969 there were about 30 of them. Another 43 wood bison were moved to Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton.


Now in the national parks and reserves of Canada there are more than 20 thousand bison, of which about 230 are forest; in the USA - more than 10 thousand heads. Thus, the future of this species is almost the only one among bulls! - does not inspire anxiety.


It is difficult to talk about the way of life of bison in the past: it was exterminated before it was studied. It is only known that the bison made regular long-distance migrations, moving south for the winter, and moving north again in the spring. Now bison cannot migrate: their range is limited to national parks, around which are the lands of companies and farmers. Various habitats are suitable for bison: open prairies, both flat and hilly, woodlands, even more or less dense forests. They keep in small herds, bulls and cows separately, and groups of bulls number up to 10-12 heads, and cows with calves gather in groups of 20-30 animals. There are no permanent leaders in the herd, but the old female leads the herd when moving.


Steppe bison feed on grass, and forest bison, in addition to grassy vegetation, widely use leaves, shoots and branches of shrubs and trees for food. In winter, the main food is grassy rags, and in the forest - lichens, branches. Bison can feed in snow cover up to 1 m deep: first they scatter snow with their hooves, and then, like bison, dig a hole with rotational movements of the head and muzzle. Once a day, bison visit watering holes, and only in severe frosts, when thick ice completely covers the water, do they eat snow. They usually graze in the morning and evening, but often during the day and also at night.


Of the sense organs, the sense of smell is best developed: bison sense danger at a distance of up to 2 km. They smell water even further, for 7-8 km. Their hearing and vision are somewhat weaker, but they cannot be called bad. Bison are very curious, especially calves: every new or unfamiliar object attracts their attention. A sign of excitement is a vertically raised tail. Bison willingly ride, like bison, in dust and sand. The voice of the bison is often given: when the herd moves, grunting sounds of different tones are constantly heard; bulls during the rut emit a rolling roar, which in calm weather is heard for 5-8 km. Such a roar sounds especially impressive when several bulls participate in the “concert”.


Despite their powerful build, bison are exceptionally fast and agile. At a gallop, they easily reach speeds of up to 50 km / h: not every horse could compete with them in a race. The buffalo is not aggressive, but when cornered or wounded, it easily switches from fleeing to attacking. He has practically no natural enemies among predators, and only calves and very old people become victims of wolves.


The bison rut begins in May and lasts until September. Bulls at this time unite with females in large herds, and a certain dominance hierarchy is observed in them. There are frequent fierce fights between bulls, during which serious injuries and even death are not uncommon. At the end of the rut, the herds again break up into small groups. Pregnancy lasts, like bison, about 9 months. Usually a cow at the onset of childbirth seeks solitude, but sometimes she gives birth to a calf right in the middle of the herd. Then all the tribesmen crowd around the newborn, sniff it and lick it. The calf suckles its mother for about a year.

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Animals, medium and large sizes.

Characteristics of the genus real bulls

Animals of large size. The withers are not high and are not raised in the form of a hump. The spinous processes of the first thoracic vertebrae are slightly elongated compared to others. The height at the rump is only slightly less than the height at the withers, and sometimes equal to the latter. There is no dewlap of long hair on the underside of the neck and head.

The skull is relatively narrow and elongated in length. The eye sockets protrude moderately to the sides. The greatest width of the skull is less than 60% of the main length of the skull. The frontal surface, except for the postorbital constriction, has the shape of an elongated rectangle, its width in front of the bases of the horn rods is approximately equal to the width of the forehead in the region of the orbits. The postorbital width of the forehead (at the narrowest point between the horns and the orbits) is less than the maximum width of the skull at the zygomatic arches. The posterior margin of the forehead, in the form of a well-developed ridge, protrudes strongly backward and is sharply demarcated from the parietal surface of the skull. The latter does not take part at all in the formation of the roof of the brain box. The dorsal surface of the lateral skull is pushed back, placed under acute angle to the plane of the forehead and under the obtuse to the plane of the occiput, hanging over the latter. When looking at the skull from above, the posterior exits of the temporal cavities are not visible. The distance between them is greater than the distance between the outer edges of the occipital condyles. The horns extend from the posterior corners of the forehead along the edges of the interhorn ridge (in a living, calmly standing animal at the very top of the head). The distance between the orbit and the base of the horn process is much greater than the diameter of the orbit. The cross section of the horn processes approaches round, but is always noticeably flattened at the bases in the dorsoventral direction. Longitudinal ribs (keels) on the surface of the horn rods, in contrast to a number of other genera of the subfamily, are absent.

There are 13 thoracic vertebrae and 13 pairs of ribs in the skeleton.

Habitat and distribution of real bulls

The roots of the genus real bulls lead to the genus Urmiabos Bartscti., known from the Lower Pliocene fauna of Maraga in Iranian Azerbaijan and possessing a set of features that allow us to consider it an ancestral form not only for bulls, but also for yaks (Poephagus Gray). Remains, obviously related to the genus Bos, appear only in the Upper Pliocene. At that time, the long-horned B. acutifrons Lyd. lived in India, which still had a poorly developed interhorn ridge. Remains of the same geological age, leaving no doubt that they belong to the genus of bulls, are known from northern Africa.

The time of the initial appearance of aurochs in Europe is not known for certain, but, apparently, they penetrated here through Asia Minor and Central Asia also no later than the Upper Pliocene or Lower Pleistocene. N. Vassoevich, among other finds from the Lower Quaternary deposits of the Taman Peninsula, mentions the horn process of Bos. However, no description of this horn process was given, its location is currently unknown, and there is no certainty that it belonged to a bull, and not to a primitive bison found in the Taman fauna.

The remains of real bulls are known from the pre-glacial quarter of the lower Volga and from the Pliocene or Upper Pliocene deposits of the river. Psekupsa in the North Caucasus.

The range of the genus Bos was very extensive. At one time, aurochs inhabited, in addition to northern Africa, most of Eurasia, including the British Isles and southern part Sweden. To the north, the distribution area extended to 57-60 ° N. sh. In contrast to the primitive bison, primitive bulls never entered the territory of the New World. Apparently, there were none in Ireland either.

Classification of the genus real bulls

The taxonomy of the genus Bos is confused. A significant number of forms are described, sometimes taken as subspecies, sometimes as independent species. V. I. Gromova made a detailed revision of the genus, and reduced all the variety of Quaternary forms of aurochs to two species: the large glacial Bos trochoceros Meyer and its somewhat smaller descendant, the Late Pleistocene and Holocene B. primigenius Boj. The latter existed on the territory of Central and Eastern Europe, and possibly also Central and Asia Minor already in historical times and finally died out at the beginning of the 17th century. N. I. Burchak described from the Upper Pleistocene fauna of the Binagads on the Apsheron Peninsula (Wurm) a new species of bull B. mastan-zadei Burtsch., craniologically close to the Pleistocene Indian species B. namadicus Falc. However, the species independence of the form described by N. I. Burchak is questionable, since V. I. Gromova takes B. namadicus only as a subspecies of B. trochoceros.

Findings of remains of diluvial aurochs (Bos trochoceros) in Europe are rare.

The issue of dwarf forms of aurochs remains controversial and unclear: B. longifrons Ow., B. minutus Malsb., B. brachyceros europaeus Adam. The dimensions of the skull in these forms in some cases do not exceed those of the skulls of small races of livestock. However, belonging to the latter is ruled out in some cases by the geological age of the finds, in others by the morphological features of the dwarf aurochs. Some researchers take small skulls for the skulls of females B. primigenius Boj. However, it should be borne in mind that some of the finds of dwarf aurochs are of Pleistocene age. Consequently, even if we accept the strongly pronounced sexual dimorphism in size in aurochs, it is difficult to recognize these finds as the skulls of females, while the skulls of diluvial males are gigantic.

Within Europe, the remains of dwarf tours were found in Armenia in the bottom sediments of Lake. Sevan and in the river basin. Ural. The question of the systematic position of pygmy aurochs is important in connection with the problem of the origin of certain groups of domestic cattle.

At present, the genus of real bulls is represented only by the domestic form, cattle B. taurus L., but already in historical times on the territory of the USSR the primitive bull, or tour B. primigenius Bojanus, was found in the wild.

Infraclass - placental

Subfamily - bulls

Narodrod - bulls and buffaloes

Genus - real bulls

Literature:

1. I.I. Sokolov "Fauna of the USSR, Ungulate animals" Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1959.

Few people think when they see a modern cow, where did it come from, and who was its progenitor. Let us consider from what species of animals it originated, and how animals of the cattle species have changed over time.

Tur - the extinct wild ancestor of the domestic cow

All cows and bulls descended from already extinct primitive representatives of wild cattle - bulls of tours. These animals lived for a very long time, but when people began to interfere in their habitat, namely to cut down the forests where they lived, these bulls became less and less.
The last tour was seen in 1627, it was then that this species ceased to exist. Interestingly, the last representatives died due to diseases due to weak genetic heredity.

During its existence, the tour was the largest representative of the ungulate species. Scientific studies and historical documents give an accurate description of these animals:

  • height - up to 2 m;
  • weight - not less than 800 kg;
  • body structure is muscular;
  • on the head are large pointed horns, they grew up to 100 cm;
  • hump on the shoulders;
  • color dark color with a brown tinge.
Tours lived in the steppe zones. They lived in herds, with the main being the female. They were both calm and aggressive animals that were able to cope with any predator. Tours were herbivores and left only bright memories of themselves.

Wild bulls of our time

Today in nature there are many modern descendants tours. Consider what distinguishing features each species has, as well as where they live and what they eat.

The bison is the largest animal of the modern fauna of Europe. This representative of cattle has the following external characteristics:

  • body length in an adult representative ranges from 230–350 cm;
  • the height of the withers reaches 2 m;
  • skull length - 50 cm;
  • the neck is short and thick;
  • live weight - up to 1 t;
  • massive physique;
  • the front is much more developed than the back;
  • the tail grows in length up to 60 cm;
  • uniform brown color.

 The modern bison is a descendant of the primitive bison priscus, which lived in Eurasia. At first, the distribution of bison was noted in vast territories: from the Iberian Peninsula to Western Siberia, also capturing the southern part of Scandinavia and England. Now in Europe there are only two main subspecies: the European plains and the Caucasian bison.

Important! Today, these animals can be found in thirty countries, where they live both in the wild and in pens. The main habitats are broad-leaved, deciduous and even mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, as well as meadows with developed grass cover.

Food for these animals is everything that they find in the forest or on the edges. Throughout the year, animals need tree food. They willingly eat different kind willows, hornbeam, aspen and many other trees, namely their parts: leaves, bark and thin branches.

There are eight centers in Belarus that breed a subpopulation of the European bison. There are two regions in Russia where these animals can be found today: the North Caucasus and the center of the European part.

The bison is one of those animals, from the meeting with which a shiver runs through the skin. Its size is huge, and the view is impressive. In addition, the North American bison is endowed with the following characteristics:

  • body length - up to 3 m;
  • height at the withers reaches 2 m;
  • the head is massive, the forehead is wide;
  • on both sides of the head there are short horns, they diverge to the sides, while the ends are bent inward;
  • the neck is massive and short;
  • there is a hump on the nape;
  • the front is much more massive than the back;
  • the weight of males is about 1.2 tons;
  • females are slightly smaller - a maximum of 700 kg;
  • legs strong and squat;
  • the tail is short, there is a tassel at the end;
  • excellent hearing and sense of smell;
  • the body is covered with gray hair with a brown tint;
  • on the head, chest and beard, the hair is darker and longer, which gives the buffalo more volume.

These animals appeared on the territory of modern southern Europe. Later they spread throughout Eurasia and even North America. The first bulls were 2 times larger than theirs modern representatives. They live in huge herds of up to 20 thousand individuals.
Leadership in the herd is given to several old males. In the wild, their life expectancy is 20 years. Today in nature there are two subspecies: forest and steppe.

To expand the range of bison, they were relocated to several regions of North America. Today they live in Northwestern Canada, in the province of British Columbia. In the wild, North American bison is listed in the Red Book as a species that is on the verge of extinction. On farms, they are grown for commercial use.

Yak

Yaks are native to Tibet. They are solitary pack animals that live in wild nature in small herds or in splendid isolation. Life expectancy is several decades. The yak is endowed with expressive and memorable features:

  • male body length - 4.3 m;
  • the female reaches a length of no more than 3 m;
  • the tail grows up to 1 m long;
  • head set low;
  • because of the hump, the back seems to be sloping;
  • the height of the withers is 2 m;
  • weight reaches 1 t;
  • on the head are long, up to 95 cm, widely spaced horns, they are bent and directed in different directions;
  • body color dark brown or grayish black;
  • the coat is long, shaggy, almost completely covers the limbs.

Today it can be found not only in the highlands of Tibet, to which it has adapted, but also in other places on the planet. Yaks tolerate low temperatures well, thanks to their long hair they can tolerate frosts down to -35 ° C. They fell in love with the mountainous Pakistani and Afghan expanses, as well as farms in China and Iran, Nepal and Mongolia.

Single specimens are found in Altai and Buryatia. Due to the fact that a person captures the area of ​​\u200b\u200btheir distribution, their number has significantly decreased. Today the yak is listed in the Red Book.

Important! A wild bull is one of the most dangerous and evil animals, capable of fighting with a person or other wild animal at any time.

Wherever the watussi bull appears, it attracts the attention of others. Its history goes back over 6 thousand years. They are also called "Bulls of Kings". The progenitors of the Watussi were already extinct bulls tours. This species became the basis of African cattle.
External characteristics:

  • weight of adult bulls - 700 kg;
  • cows grow up to 550 kg;
  • long round horns that grow up to 3.7 m in length;
  • the tail is long;
  • body color can be varied;
  • coat is short.
The structure of the digestive system makes it possible for these animals to eat very coarse and nutrient-poor food. Unpretentiousness in food allowed Watussi to spread in America, as well as in Ukraine (in the Crimea).

Did you know? Since ancient times, bulls and cows of this breed were considered sacred. They were never killed for meat. The owner was considered wealthy based on how much live cattle he owned, as cows of this species produce a lot of milk.

In addition, they have developed an instinct to protect young animals, when located for the night, adults lie in a circle, while the calves are in its center for safety.

Zebu is an Asian cow that has adapted to life in a hot and humid climate. The homeland of these animals is South Asia. Consider what distinctive characteristics of zebu are known:

  • growth reaches a mark of 150 cm;
  • body length - 160 cm;
  • head and neck are elongated;
  • under the neck there is a noticeable fleshy fold;
  • on the back of the neck there is a large hump;
  • horns of various sizes and shapes;
  • the head is elongated with a convex forehead;
  • the weight of the bull is 900 kg, the cow is 300 kg lighter;
  • legs are high, which gives speed of movement;
  • the skin is dense, covered with sparse hairs;
  • the suit is light, light brown or white.

Animals feed on grass, thin branches and leaves. They can travel long distances in search of food. They live in regions with tropical and subtropical climate. Today, in addition to India, they can be found in Asia and Africa, in Japan, Korea, Madagascar, as well as in the USA, Brazil and other countries.

Gaur - wild bull from Nepal

Another name is the Indian bison, this is the largest representative of the genus of bulls, which has survived to this day. Gaur is native to South and Southeast Asia. The description of the appearance of a wild bison consists of the following indicators:

  • body length - within 3 m;
  • tail length - up to 1 m;
  • height at the withers - up to 2 m;
  • there is a hump on the shoulders;
  • weight ranges from 600–1500 kg;
  • on the head are horns up to 1 m long;
  • wool is dyed in different colors, "white stockings" on the legs.
The geography of habitat includes India, Nepal, the Malay Peninsula and even Indochina. Favorite places are forest hills and grassy meadows. The animal is classified as a herbivore. Her favorite food is green grass, however, when it is scarce, it can eat coarse and dry herbs, as well as leaves. Herds of gaurs can reach 40 individuals. They are dominated by an adult bull.
Today there is a decrease in the population in some parts of the range, this figure is 70%. The population is in decline as a result of uncontrolled hunting as well as the destruction of their habitat.

This buffalo is the largest on the planet. Its homeland is Africa. These animals live in the wild for about 16 years, they are gregarious. They are endowed with the following characteristics:

  • body length - 3.5 m;
  • grow in height by 1.8 m;
  • weight reaches 1 ton and more;
  • the body is muscular, the front is much larger than the back;
  • the head is large, set low;
  • on the head are huge horns that grow together and resemble a shell;
  • coat color is reddish;
  • legs are powerful, the front ones are stronger than the hind ones;
  • animals are endowed with good hearing, but poor eyesight.

 The habitats of these bulls are savannahs, mountains and forests. They need a lot of water. They feed on grass and leaves. During danger, they gather in a herd, young animals are placed in the center and run away. It is known that their speed can reach 57 km / h. Today, African buffalo live in South and East Africa. They need a lot of space near water bodies.

Did you know? Buffalo milk is better than cow's milk in terms of protein content. Its fat content is 8%. On average, one buffalo produces 2 tons of milk per year.

Asian (Indian) buffalo

The Asiatic buffalo is a relative of wild bison, yaks, and zebu. These are beautiful and powerful animals that fight with man for the right to life. Asian buffaloes are artiodactyl mammals that belong to the bovid family and are endowed with the following characteristics:

  • the bull has a body length of 3 m;
  • its growth reaches 2 m;
  • weight is in the range of 800–1200 kg;
  • crescent-shaped horns are located on the head, the distance between them is 2 m;
  • the tail grows in length by 90 cm;
  • wool is coarse, sparse, brown;
  • limbs are high and strong.

 The character justifies the appearance, as the buffalo of this breed is very ferocious. He fights well against predators. These bulls live in herds. There is no strict obedience in them. They feed on underwater and coastal vegetation, do it preferably in the evening, and during the day they like to just sit in the water. 3 times already
helped

Evolution is a mechanism that nature has come up with. Thousands of species of different animals appeared, with hundreds of differences, but similar to each other. The family of wild real bulls and wild cows also includes many subspecies of wild bulls.

Families of bulls live in all corners the globe: both in the snowy expanses of Tibet and in the desert of Africa. Why is the fate of these animals considered tragic? What are the features?

Wild bulls: what descendants of these ancient animals exist in nature?

The sad fate of the horned giant

In the vastness of Europe there was a wild bull - tour. This beast was beautiful and weighed almost a whole ton. Wild bull with huge horns made everyone tremble with fear, except the man. Thanks to the latter, this species has not been preserved.

Tur was an excellent source of meat and skins, which is why it was hunted. The beast is slow, and every hunter could kill him. The memory of this species has been preserved, because it is the ancestor of all modern bulls.

Gallery: wild bulls (25 photos)



















Bison - a relative of the tour, Belovezhskaya bull, bison of North America

Bison is the closest relative of the aurochs. A huge animal, at the withers about two meters. Its weight is just over a ton, which is why it is one of the largest representatives of their species. The bison has a dark brown coat color, it warms him in any cold, even in severe frosts.

Previously, this animal lived almost throughout Europe, Russia and the Caucasus. But the animal, as with the tour, was attacked by people. Now these creatures live in reserves, under supervision and protection.

The bison is also a relative of the tour, but already overseas. This wild forest bull lives in North America and is similar in appearance to the bison. Only the wool is longer, reaches half a meter in length. Front massive body part and the rear is much weaker. The chest, part of the back and head are often covered with matted hair.

Bison are horned, but the horns are often differently pronounced. The animals have a short tail with a tassel. There are forest and steppe bison. The steppe is smaller than the forest, has much more wool, and the horns are hidden under the bangs.

North American loves semi-desert plains, spacious pastures, forest glades, well lit by the sun. The mass of the male is more than a ton, females are slightly smaller.

This species has also been hunted. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the population numbered about 60 million individuals, and a century later, the number fell to the mark of one thousand. Why did it happen? The reason is migrants.

The colonialists began to kill bulls in order to feed the workers who are building the railway. Farther bison hunting turned into fun, not food.

Bison have been taken under protection and provide conditions for population growth.

In the mountains of Tibet

The snowy mountains of Tibet have become the home of an amazing animal - the yak.

  • This is a bull with huge horns, about 80 cm long.
  • Brown thick wool protects him from severe frost and snowfall.
  • With the help of muscular legs, he moves from one to the second cliff without any problems.

Yak can be found in other regions of Central Asia, for example, in Altai or Kyrgyzstan. But only in Tibet do animals feel at home, because human contact minimized.

Heat lovers: buffalo and gaur bull

The smallest. The huge animals described above have relatives among dwarfs. These are - anoa. The growth of this creature does not exceed one meter, and the weight is within two hundred kilograms. Horns are the smallest part of their body. They reach no more than forty centimeters in length.

Anoa live in Indonesia, on the island of Sulawesi and are under the protection of the organization for the protection of animal rights.

Indian bull

Zebu lives in India. This is an independent subspecies, not associated with the tour. This bull from India is used on the farm - it performs the function of transport and assistant to the landowner. In Madagascar, zebu is also held in high esteem. There this Indian bull is considered sacred.

In some places, the wild bull of India is crossed with a domestic cow, resulting in hybrids that give milk and with great strength. The average weight of the animal is about 800 kg, the body is smooth, there is a “hump” and a chest fold. Zebu are willingly kept by nature reserves and zoos.

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