VietNamNet Bridge – A wild male gaur that left its flock in the National Park of Phuoc Binh, Ninh Thuan Province, central Vietnam, to live with domestic cows died on March 8. Authorised agencies are investigating the cause of death of the animal.

Nguyen Cong Van, director of the Phuoc Binh National Park, said the body of the animal was found near a local forest last Saturday night.

According to Van, the male gaur was a “lovebird” to domestic cows. He left his flock to live with domestic cows in 2008; it was the father of nearly 20 crossbred bulls. It most likely died due to "old age and poor health," he said.

Van said the Phuoc Binh National Park bought all the crossbred bulls to carry out the scientific study of genetic and assessment of the development of F1 crossbred bulls between gaur (Bos gaurus) and domestic cows (Bos taurus).

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ninh Thuan, a flock of about 30 gaurs are living in the forest in the districts of Ninh Son and Bac Ai.

Na Son