Bos sauveli

– Critically Endangered

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	ANIMALIA
Phylum:	CHORDATA
Class:	MAMMALIA
Order:	ARTIODACTYLA
Family:	BOVIDAE
Scientific Name:	Bos sauveli
Species Authority:	Urbain, 1937
Common Name/s:	GREY OX (Eng) KOUPREY (Eng, Fre, Spa) BOEUF GRIS CAMBODGIEN (Fre) TORO CUPREY (Spa)

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

CR A2d, C1+2a, D ver 2.3 (1994)

Year Assessed:

2000

Assessor/s:

Hedges, S. (Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group)

Evaluator/s:

Hedges, S. & Duckworth, J.W. (Asian Wild Cattle Red List Authority)

Justification:

Since the total population is generally assumed to be less than 250, Kouprey qualify for CR under C1 and C2a irrespective of the proportion of mature individuals in the population, and probably D too.

History:

1965	-	"Very rare and believed to be decreasing in numbers" (Scott 1965)
1986	-	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
1988	-	Endangered (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1990	-	Endangered (IUCN 1990)
1994	-	Endangered (Groombridge 1994)
1996	-	Critically Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range

Range Description:

Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Countries:

Native:

Cambodia

Possibly extinct regionally:

Lao People's Democratic Republic; Thailand; Viet Nam

Population

Population:

At an international workshop, held in Viet Nam in January 1988, reports were presented which suggested that there were about 27 Kouprey in Viet Nam, possibly 40–100 in the Lao PDR, and up to 200 in Cambodia, with perhaps a seasonal presence of a few animals in Thailand. These figures, which were little more than guesses, suggested that a total of about 100–300 Kouprey still existed in the late-1980s. Unfortunately, it now seems that these figures were too optimistic. No Kouprey were seen during an aerial survey of a large part of eastern Cambodia in 1994 and the densities of other wildlife species (including Banteng and Gaur) were alarmingly low. Evidence of human disturbance including hunting was also widespread in the areas surveyed. Subsequent ground surveys in Cambodia, the Lao PDR, and Viet Nam have also failed to produce any evidence that significant numbers of Kouprey still exist. Recent evidence that the species remains extant comes only from traders and unconfirmed reports from locals; some sources suggest that the species is extinct outside of Cambodia.

Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

The Kouprey is primarily an animal of open deciduous forests; it also occurs in grasslands, wooded grasslands, and patches of closed monsoon forest. Most of the Kouprey’s range lies in an area receiving 1,000–2,000 mm precipitation per annum. The terrain in this area is generally flat or undulating. The presence of salt lick seems to be important.

System:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

List of Habitats:

1.5	Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
2.1	Savanna - Dry
4.5	Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry

Threats

Threats:

Hunting, both for subsistence and for trade (meat and body parts, especially horns and skulls), is the major threat throughout the Kouprey’s range. Diseases from domestic and/or feral livestock could have disastrous consequences given the already severely reduced Kouprey population. Habitat loss as a result of the increase in areas under permanent cultivation and logging, as well as increasing levels of other human-created disturbances are also threats, but are insignificant compared to hunting. Land mines (a particular problem along the borders of Cambodia) also pose a threat to the Kouprey both by directly killing animals and by hampering conservation efforts.

List of Threats:

1.1.2	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Wood plantations (ongoing)
1.1.4	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Livestock (ongoing)
3.5	Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Cultural/scientific/leisure activities (ongoing)
8.5	Changes in native species dynamics - Pathogens/parasites (ongoing)

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions:

Listed in CITES Appendix I. Legally protected in all range states. May occur in a very small number of protected areas. There are several on-going large mammal survey programs (in Cambodia). There are no Kouprey in captivity.

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Bezuijen, M.R. 1994. Surveys of the Wildlife Trade at Cau Mong Animal Market, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam (unpublished report).

Cox, R., Laurie, A. and Woodford, M. 1992. Report of the results of four field surveys for kouprey Bos sauveli in Viet Nam and Lao P.D.R. Kouprey Conservation Trust, (unpublished report).

Desai, A.A. and Lic Vuthy. 1996. Status and Distribution of Large Mammals in Eastern Cambodia: Results of the First Foot Surveys in Mondulkiri and Rattanakiri Provinces. IUCN/FFI/WWF Large Mammal Conservation Project, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Duckworth, J.W. and Hedges, S. 1998. A review of the Status of Tiger, Asian Elephant, Gaur, and Banteng in Viet Nam, Lao, Cambodia, and Yunnan (China), with Recommendations for Future Conservation Action. WWF Indochina Programme, Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Duckworth, J.W., Salter, R.E., and Khounboline, K. (compilers). 1999. Wildlife in Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report. IUCN, WCS and CPAWM, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Duckworth, J.W., Timmins, R.J., Thewlis, R.C.M., Evans, T.D. and Anderson, G.Q.A. 1994. Field observations of mammals in Laos, 1992–1993. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 42:177–205.

Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Hedges, S. in prep. Asian Wild Cattle and Buffaloes: Status Report and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland.

Heng Kimchhay, Ouk Kimsan, Kry Masphal, Sin Polin, Uch Seiha, and Weiler, H. 1998. The distribution of Tiger, Leopard, Elephant and Wild Cattle (Gaur, Banteng, Buffalo, Khting Vor and Kouprey) in Cambodia. Interim report: July 1998. Wildlife Protection Office, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Hilton-Taylor, C. (compiler). 2000. 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1986. 1986 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre. 1988. 1988 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN. 1990. 1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Le Xuan Canh, Pham Trong Anh, Duckworth, J.W., Vu Ngoc Thanh and Lic Vuthy. 1997. A survey of large mammals in Dak Lak Province, Viet Nam. Unpublished report to IUCN and WWF, Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Lic Vuthy, Sun Hean, Hing Chamnan and Dioli, M. 1995. A brief field visit to Mondolkiri Province to collect data on kouprey (Bos sauveli), rare wildlife and for field training. Unpublished report to Canada Fund and IUCN.

MacKinnon, J.R. and Stuart, S.N. (compilers) 1989. The Kouprey: an action plan for conservation. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Martin, E.B. and Phipps, M. 1996. A Review of the Wild Animal Trade in Cambodia. TRAFFIC Bulletin 16(2): 45–60.

Olivier, R. and Woodford, M. 1994. Aerial surveys for Kouprey in Cambodia March 1994. IUCN/SSC, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Salter, R.E., Bouaphanh Phanthavong, Sivannavong Sawathvong, Sanxay Souriyakan and Khamphay Louanglath. 1990. An assessment of the current status of kouprey and other wild cattle in southern Laos. Forest Resources Conservation Project, Lao/Swedish Forestry Cooperation Programme, Vientiane, Laos (unpublished report).

Scott, P. (ed.) 1965. Section XIII. Preliminary List of Rare Mammals and Birds. In: The Launching of a New Ark, pp. 15–207. First Report of the President and Trustees of the World Wildlife Fund. An International Foundation for saving the world's wildlife and wild places 1961–1964. Collins, London.

Srifa La-Ong, Duangrat Pothieng and Bok Sakon. 1997. Survey on wildlife trading at the frontier of Thailand-Cambodia and People's Republic Democratic of Laos. WWF-Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand.

Srikosamatara, S. and Suteethorn, V. 1994. Wildlife Conservation along the Thai-Lao Border. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 42: 3–21.

Srikosamatara, S., Siripholdej, B. and Suteethorn, V. 1992. Wildlife trade in Lao P.D.R. and between Lao P.D.R. and Thailand. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society 40:1–47.

Wharton, C.H. 1957. An Ecological Study of the Kouprey. Novibos sauveli (Urbain). Monographs of the Institute of Science and Technology Monograph 5, Manila, Philippines.

Citation:	Hedges, S. 2000. Bos sauveli. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 12 May 2008.
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