Do gaur have a future in Europe?

kiang

kiang

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
As the title says do gaur have a future in Europe?
Having looked at animals picture from Munich, of their last gaur.

http://www.zoochat.com/136/last-gaur-munich-138009/

With Munich down to their last animal, Whipsnade too, as well as single animals at Dortmund and Obterre, what does the future hold for the species?

I realise that most animals in the region are related in one way or the other to the prolific group at Berlin, has there been any imports recently to bolster the European herd?
With collections like Copenhagen, Hamburg and Port Lympne relinquishing their animals in the past few years, is there a lack of interest in these majestic animals?
 
Single animal at dortmund?? they had 2 from Berlin, did one die?

I don't think there is a lack of interest, but gaurs aren't the easiest bovids to keep(big and veery strong).

The Animals in München died of an disease, except this very last one (in 2004 I saw 9 gaurs).
 
Whipsnade appear to have aquired a new gaur as when I visited last week there were two! I'm assuming the new one is a female to go with the lone male they did have although I don't know where she came from! So hopefully this means Gaur should have a future in the Uk in they take a shinig to each other (assuming the new one is a female!)
 
The Reserve de la Haute-Touche has received a young female gaur from zoo Berlin, at the same time 2 animals were also transferred to Jardin des Plantes.
 
I wonder if it's possible for some of the European zoos to import Gaurs from Asia zoos? or even frozen semen after all breeding domestic cattle with AI is so common now and has been for a long time, I hope this species does not die out in Europe
 
I'd like to reignite this old thread, and ask a few questions:

Has the situation improved since the last thread?
Is it common to just have 1.1 in a collection? Surely they're herd animals so what's the issue?
Do gaur suffer from difficult husbandry? I've heard they have to be managed on a bran-based diet as you can't have them on pasture.

Despite being overlooked by the casual zoo visitor, it would certainly be a shame to lose them from any collection.
 
If any casual zoo visitor overlooks Whipsnade's bull Gaur, shame on them!

Realistically, I think AI might be the way forward for Gaur in Europe; there is a desperate need for fresh blood.

Or maybe we decide that there's insufficient space within EAZA for both Gaur and Banteng; maybe one species needs to be managed in Europe and one in North America.
 
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