Vandalur zoo gets two gaur calves in one month
Posted on: 28/Oct/2015 4:12:39 PM
Newborn gaurs have added to the population at Aringnar Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur. A male gaur calf was born on October 8 and a female calf on October 15. This brings the total gaur population at the zoo to 21. Two male calves were born in captivity in March earlier this year.
After a long gestation period of 275 days, gaurs give birth to one calf, maybe two. Though referred to as Indian Bison, this species is the heaviest and strongest of all wild cattle. The lifespan of the animal in the wild is around 20 years and it might live for five more years in captivity... The specialty of a gaur infant is that it stands up and starts moving around in just about 10 minutes, which is not the case with other species. The infants are on a special diet comprising coconut, bananas, Channa and greens, in addition to milk. The mothers and the calves are being kept away from other animals as a precaution, said a zoo official.
Indian gaurs are categorised as Vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hunting this species can bring the law breaker an imprisonment of anywhere between 3 to 7 years and a fine of Rs. 25,000. The species are listed in Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
