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Big herbivores!
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 (12-21-2017, 06:14 AM)Rishi Wrote: According to a study by Dr. Nico van Strien in 2006, the longest rhino horn ever recorded was a 148 cm (59 inch) white rhino horn. This horn was found before 1900 in South Africa and it was owned by Sir William Gordons Cummings, but according to the most recent information, the horn was stolen and its whereabouts are unknown.@Rishi very good information, thanks for sharing  
ALL RHINOCEROS SPECIES ARE IMPORTANT - http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endanger...an_rhinos/
There are three Asian rhino species, all of which have been pushed to the brink of extinction. The greater one-horned is slowly recovering thanks to years of succesful conservation efforts but the Sumatran and Javan rhinos remain at great risk. Having once roamed across most of Asia, they’re now found in the wild in just four countries - India, Nepal, Bhutan and Indonesia. Poaching for their horns and habitat loss are the two greatest threats to the survival of Asia's remaining rhinos. Rhinos have been around for millions of years and have a major impact on the structure of their habitat and the health of their ecosystem. For example, the greater one-horned rhino helps to maintain close-cropped grasslands near rivers, which are preferable feeding spots for small herbivores. Asian rhinos also disperse the seeds of plants and fruit they’ve eaten, through their feces. Many other animals – and people – depend on healthy rhino habitats, so protecting the rhino and its habitat helps other wildlife and people. All the folds in their skin give Asian rhinos a more armoured look than their counterparts in Africa. The greater one-horned rhino and Javan rhino have one horn, while the Sumatran rhino has two. Despite their hefty appearance, Asian rhinos are excellent swimmers and can easily swim across rivers. They’re vegetarians, grazing on tall grasses, shrubs, leaves and some fruits. 
They're expanding range & are to recieve recognition in Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh mulls new habitat for elephants TNN | Jan 12, 2018 The resident elephant herd of 19 in Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve.  *This image is copyright of its original author BHOPAL: The state government is considering to declare Sanjay National Park as an elephant habitat considering jumbos' straying into Siddhi and Singrauli districts from other states. Elephants from Odisha are straying into the state through Chhattisgarh, some have not returned, sources said. Principal secretary forest Deepak Khandekar said that proposal was mooted. "Elephants are straying into our areas like Siddhi, Singrauli, Shahdol, Annupur, Mandla and Dindori. Plan to declare Sanjay National Park as elephant habitat is in process," Khandekar told. The area adopted by elephants in MP has a rich vegetation, including bamboo shoots — their favourite food. In July 2017, a herd of elephants had strayed into jungles around Kusmi block in Siddhi district from Chhattisgarh sparking panic. However no damages were reported. Elephants come from Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh due to abundance of standing crop and bamboo, besides other forest produce. Usually, it takes refuge in small patches of forests during daytime, come out and raids crops in night. In Madhya Pradesh, straying of wild elephants were first reported in Siddhi district in 2002. The state had lost its elephants to Chhattisgarh after the division of the state.
This is a back-crossing to create a "Throwback" Aurochs bull. The early domesticated cattle of Greece, Turkey and Italy were all scarcely-modified Aurochsen. In the Aurochs species, the bull is more usually black while the cows were red or red-and-white.
 *This image is copyright of its original author
Note: a misconception: A bison does not have short horns. They can easily kill a man. Perhaps appearing small in comparison with some other wild bovine species; but not really short.
https://twilightbeasts.wordpress.com/201...-the-wild/
In a sense, Pleistocene megafauna are still with us even in post-industrial England. It may not seem like it but the humble heifer is probably the most successful species of megafauna on the planet, outnumbering all the elephants, rhinos, whales, lions, tigers, and hippos put together! The simple cow (1.5 billion and counting), shaped by millennia of domestication into a (mostly) docile and manageable creature is a direct descendant of something so fearsome, and so deadly, that Julius Caesar (himself no slouch in the bellicosity department) described them as “a little below the elephant in size and of the appearance, colour, and shape of a bull. Their strength and speed are extraordinary. They spare neither man nor wild beast which they have espied.” A beast that terrified the legendary Caesar must have been impressive indeed. This is the aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius), the wild ancestor of our domestic cattle. 
.....and let's not forget about this beast - hairy aurochs
  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
I wonder if the Tibetan brown bear, Ursus arctos pruinosus, also called the "blue bear" ever hunts wild yak calves? If so, he would face the possibility of conflict with adult cows or even bulls. The yak is a huge powerful bovine, as big if not bigger than a bison.
@
There are two subspecies of brown bears in the Himalayan Mountains, the Himalayan brown bear ( called the red bear ) Ursus a. isabellinus which is very small and will run from a black bear. He is mostly vegetarian. Then there is the very rare "blue bear" who is more carnivorous than his smaller cousin. Ursus a. pruinosus is highly aggressive; much like the barren ground grizzly. I'm unsure of his size though. But, to tackle a yak would indeed require a very large bear.
But do not underestimate a grizzly's ability to fight a bull. In the ancient Roman arena and in the Mexican bear vs bull fights; the grizzly was the usual winner. According to the reports from frontiersmen of the old American West, the grizzly was victorious roughly 50% against a bull bison. But yes; those were some huge bears. |
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