An adult Bos gaurus in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan province (by Dong Yonghua)
Gaur(Bos gaurus) is listed in the IUCN Red Lis of threatened species (2016), and is the first class protected animal in China.It only distributes in Yunnan province-the hot spot of biodiversity conservation around the world, and it’s the China's southern border to Laos and Myanmar.
Bos gaurus is a representative species of tropical forest ecosystem in Xishuangbanna prefecture of Yunnan province . But in the past 30 years, with the increase of population and the aggravation of human disturbance, Bos gaurus’ habitats has been shrinking sharply and seriously fragmented.
A research among the few studies about the Bos gaurus in China pointed out that the number of population of this wild cattle has dropped almost 80%,from 605-712 in 1988 to 152-167 in 2014 (Zhang Zhongyuan, etc. 2016). Lost food resources and habitats, plus poaching and population isolation, makes the Bos gaurus on the edge of extinction. A series action and cooperation are urgently needed to stop the trend, including:
-Bos gaurus population monitoring;
-Carry out Bos gaurus study;
-Habitats assessment and improvement;
-Protection action and mechanism that involve government, NGOs, and local rural communities;
-Exploring new methods and mechanism for Bos gaurus conservation, such as establishing natural reserve for certain Bos gaurus population, and promoting policy advocacy;
-Balancing rural (ethnic minority) community development and Bos gaurus conservation, by developing alternative livelihood, conducting pilot projects and training, and improving rural communities’ capacity for joining in Bos gaurus conservation;
-Improving rural communities’ capacity for joining in Bos gaurus conservation, for sustainable development.
-Balancing rural communities development and Bos gaurus protection.
-Improving public awareness and promoting more people to support Bos gaurus conservation.
If you are interested in supporting our nature conservation efforts, please contact us by: ygf@ygf.yn.cn
