Tag: Ungulates

Kouprey
The kouprey is among the most enigmatic wild cattle in the world. First described scientifically in 1937, it was already extremely rare at that time. Characteristic features include the frayed horn tips of mature bulls and the pronounced dewlap. Today, according to the IUCN, the kouprey is probably extinct. (© Illustration aus Coolidge, H. J. (1940). The Indo-Chinese forest ox or kouprey. Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 54(6), via Biodiversity Heritage Library)

The Kouprey: A Zoological Mystery

The kouprey is considered one of the most mysterious wild cattle in the world. First described by Western scientists only in 1937, this shy animal from the tropical forests of the tri-border region of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia remained scarcely studied for decades. Many zoologists saw the kouprey as a

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Schomburgk-Hirsch-Foto
One of the few photographs of the extinct Schomburgk's deer. The picture was taken in 1911 at the Berlin Zoological Garden. (© Lothar Schlawe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Schomburgk’s deer — Could it still exist?

The riddle of Schomburgk’s deer “No one seems ever to have seen this animal; all that we think we know about it is the existence of its antlers”, noted Phya Jolamark Bhicharana wrote in 1932 about Schomburgk’s deer. The American biologist Francis Harper also wrote in 1945 that this deer—which

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Auerochse / Ur
This painting is a copy of the original, which was acquired from a dealer in Augsburg in the 19th century. The original likely dates back to the 16th century. It is unclear whether it depicts an aurochs, a cross between cattle and an aurochs, or an aurochs-like cattle breed. (© Charles Hamilton Smith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Return of the Aurochs as the Tauros: From Extinction Back to the Pastures

For nearly 400 years, the aurochs, or urus, the wild ancestor of all modern domesticated cattle, has been considered extinct. However, it may soon reappear in the form of the Tauros, its selectively bred successor, in the UK. According to a report by BBC Countryfile, there are plans to reintroduce

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Yemen gazelle
The Yemen gazelle, which was described solely on the basis of skins, was probably similar in size to or larger than the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella), which reaches a body length of up to 1.2 metres. (© The Great Mule of Eupatoria, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Yemen Gazelle

Named after Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba The scientific species name of the Yemen gazelle, bilkis, are derived from Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba, a legendary figure in Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Her kingdom, renowned for its wealth and cultural flourishing, lay in southern Arabia, in what is now

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Aurochs
Life reconstruction of an aurochs bull found in Braunschweig. The skeleton served as a direct reference for the proportions and horns. Body shape and colour are based on current knowledge about the wild cattle. (© Jaap Rouwenhorst (photograph) DFoidl (GIMP modifications), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Aurochs

How a wild animal became a domestic animal The aurochs or ur is considered the first wild cattle domesticated by humans, to guarantee a steady supply of meat and milk and to have draft and working animals available. Domestication is always associated with physical changes as well: over time, the

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