Birmanicus Banteng: The forgotten cattle

All the cattle we see around us are descendants of two lines. Banteng is close to the Indicine line, zebu cattle. 

The species, forest-dweller and extremely elusive, is unmistakably marked with white stockings and white rump-patch.

Another clue is the absence of dewlap, the dangling, skinny throat flap common in domestic cattle.

Banteng males can be black or brown with a faint reddish hue, while females are always lighter in colour. Horns are present in both.

Banteng is an extinct species in Bangladesh. Based on Bovids of the World, a reputed Princeton field guide, the westernmost range of Banteng touches down the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

The mention seems legit as the Burmese subspecies still lives nearby.

We do not know when this species disappeared. In fact, it is so lost, forgotten, and untraceable that it did not get a place in the country's 2015 Red List assessment.

Banteng is globally vulnerable and lives in different forested pockets throughout Southeast Asia.

Scientific name: Bos javanicus birmanicus

Global Status: Vulnerable. The largest populations of wild Banteng occur in Cambodia, Java and possibly in Borneo and Thailand.

They are also known to occur in Myanmar; their presence is uncertain in China, Laos, and Vietnam.

Remarks: Bantengs are active during the day as well as at night, though activity at night is more in areas frequented by humans.

Herds comprise two to forty individuals. Bantengs occur in a variety of habitats throughout their range, including open deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, abandoned farms, and grasslands.

Poaching and snaring are the biggest threats for these animals.