VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese scientists are implementing a scientific research work on the relations between a wild bull and cows to create hybrid calves.

A bull lives with a herd of cows. Photo courtesy of the Phuoc Binh National Park.

The Phuoc Binh National Park and the Center for Application of Science and Technology of Lam Dong province have joined hands to implement the project to research the development ability of F1 hybrids between wild bulls (Bos gaurus) and cows (Bos taurus) in the bordering area of Ninh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces.''

The study aims to clarify the information that a stray wild bull lives with a herd of cows, producing crossbred calves.

The Phuoc Binh National Park is at the height of 200-1900 m, with an area of 20,000 hectares, located in Phuoc Binh commune, Bac Ai district of Ninh Thuan province. The park is the home to a lot of rare animals in the Vietnam Red Book and the IUCN Red Book, including nearly 80 bulls.

Since late 2009, a stray male bull has joined the herd of cow of a farmer in Bac Ray 2 village. This bull is 1.7 meters high, over two meters long, weighing about a ton.

After more than three years the bull lived with the cows, and female cows gave birth to 11 calves which have the appearance and the hair color of bulls.

To clarify this interesting biological phenomenon, the two provinces of Lam Dong and Ninh Thuan will together carry out this scientific research with a total cost of nearly VND2 billion ($100,000).

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, director of Phuoc Binh National Park, if the testing results confirm that the calves are the F1 hybrids between the wild bull and cows, then this is the rare case in Vietnam so far.

SGTT