Kouprey

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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Kouprey | status = Conservation status: Critical | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Mammalia | ordo = Artiodactyla | familia = Bovidae | subfamilia = Bovinae | genus = Bos | species = B. sauveli | binomial = Bos sauveli | binomial_authority = Urbain, 1937 }}

The Kouprey (Bos sauveli also known as Kouproh) is a wild forest dwelling ox found mainly in northern Cambodia but also believed to be found in southern Laos, western Vietnam, and eastern Thailand. It was discovered in 1937.

Male Kouprey stand up to two metres tall at the shoulder and weigh around 900 kilograms. Kouprey have large but narrow bodies, long legs and humped backs. Kouprey can be either grey, dark brown or black. The horns of the female are lyre-shaped with antelope-like upward spirals the horns of the male are widespread and arch forward and upward, which begin to split at about three years of age. Both sexes have notched nostrils and long tails. Kouprey have two toes at the centre of their hooves, the index and small toes are small hoof like parts close to the ankle.

Kouprey live in low partially forested hills where they eat mainly grasses. Kouprey are diurnal, eating in the open at night and under the forest cover during the day. They live in herds of up to twenty, generally consisting of only cows and calves but will include bulls during the dry season.

There are estimated to be less than 250 kouprey left in the world. These low numbers are attributed to uncontrolled hunting by locals and soldiers in conjunction with diseases introduced from cattle and loss of habitat. However the kouprey is suspected to have always been somewhat rare.

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References

Steve Hendrix: Quest for the Kouprey, International Wildlife Magazine, 25 (5) 1995, p. 20-23.
J.R. McKinnon/S.N. Stuart: The Kouprey - An action plan for its conservation. Gland, Switzerland 1989.
Steve Hendrix: The ultimate nowhere. Trekking through the Cambodian outback in search of the Kouprey, Chicago Tribune - 19 December 1999.

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