Talk:Gaur

Existence in Borneo

I was born in Sabah, North Borneo and i grew up hearing stories from my dad and grandpa telling me of this beast that is bigger and more aggressive than a water buffalo but looks like a cow that every now and then someone shoots one on a hunting trip (My family are native of Borneo and it is tradition to hunt deer and wild boar). I had never seen one and i never knew what its name in english is. But i have only known it as "Tambadau". If this is the same animal then it definately does exist. For i have seen with my own eyes its fresh tracks and huge droppings that are definately not water buffallo tracks.

One story from a friend was when he went hunting in the jungle by himself he came across a whole pack/herd of these animals known to us as Tambadau and he was undetected by the pack. Because he was unexperienced and young he aimed with his shotgun loaded with a buck shot and shot one of the Tambadau that was laying on the ground directly in the face (he should have aimed for the breast/armpit area under the leg). The Tambadau got up and charged towards him, then started bashing its head into nearby hill-wall trying to get the buck shot pellets out. My friend dropped his gun and ran and never saw the beast again.

I really wonder if this is the animal we call Tambadau. It meets all the descriptions.

Scientific Name

Can a biologist please have a look at this article? -- JeLuF 10:45 Oct 6, 2002 (UTC)

AFAIK (and I'm only an undergrad biologist) the gaur is Bos gaurus. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation agrees, and indicates that Bos frontalis is actually the gayal. So I'm changing this article now; if I'm wrong, please change it back. Thanks. -- Gaurav 12:52, 30 Jan 2005 (UTC)

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation is not the authority to decide, but you are correct. In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based on wild species, which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic forms", confirming Bos gaurus for the Gaur. Because otherwise it need to be Bos frontalis according to ICZN rules, because that name is older.

I gather that Bos Gavaeus is another obsolete name? I created a redirect, but don't dare to mention the name here. dab (ᛏ) 08:19, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Anthropophagy?!

Okay, I can believe that gaur have eaten chickens.

And I can believe that gaur have killed farmers.

But I refuse to believe that gaur have eaten humans. DS 22:21, 26 October 2005 (UTC)

Can a Gaur Moo?

I'm doing a high school research report on what people consider being a "cow.” Many people in my interview said that a "cow" has horns, are big and moo. I know a Gaur has horns, are big and looks like what most North Americans consider a "cow" but does it make a "mooing" noise?

How do you pronounce Gaur?

Can someone who knows add it to the page?

Banteng picture

The 2nd picture added to the end of the page is not a guar, but a banteng bull. A gaur is not that small, and lacks the white patches on its rumps. True, the image labels gaur, but many people can tell that it's a banteng bull. So, any idea?

Fixed. Rmhermen 13:02, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Weight

The article had made claims of average weights to 1500 kg and a record weight of 1700 kg from Vietnam in 2003. I was not able to find sources for these extremes and added sourced average weights that are somewhat lower. Can anyone find references for the previous claims? Rmhermen 13:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Good questions. Some china website has information on the weight of 1500 kg. About the 1700kg, that inf was written on this web site: www.vnexpress.net. But unluckily, this inf is in Vietnamese, so I'm quite unsure if it's worthwhile mentioning the site at all. But the 1500kg inf is in English, quite a relief. just type in google: gaur + 1500 kg, and u will get to the site. One more thing: 1500kg is not an average, but rather a quite heavy weight for the gaur.

KATTUPOTHU?

Is there any backing for this "name"? Is it just me, or does this scream "vandal!" Very sorry if it really is a local name. 66.42.173.205 22:28, 10 October 2006 (UTC)