Goa’s state animal.
We were in a forest clearing near the remote Goan village of Surla (Sattari) in the Western Sahyadri range when this bull sauntered across startling us.
The endangered Gaur is the largest bovine on the planet, larger than Africa’s Cape Buffalo. It is called govo redo in Konkani. My first instinct was to get closer but I didn’t want to risk a charge for this is a wild animal, not your friendly neighbourhood buffalo.
Gaur (Indian bison)
5D Mark III, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II
Lunch, in Surla (Sattari), Goa
5D Mark III, 100-400L IS
Rajan Bab, good to see you back.
Kind of risky, would you not agree? Esp IF there was a whole bunch of them around. I noted the ‘fattening’ comment from Prof Kamat. (:-).
Why did I start thinking that this particular blogpost was related to politicians and politics when I first saw it? Possibly because I confused the Buffalo with Bull !
It is a majestic animal but hates human contacts and it was a right decision to keep away. Gaur is much maligned due to conflict with farmers who have to suffer losses as herds of these bovids ransack their farms. Today Goa edition of daily Tarun Bharat carries a news item on such conflict. You were lucky to spot it so close probably because the wind was in opposite direction. This is their active foraging and fattening season.
Just shows you. From the Brontosaurus to the Gaur, no one need meat to get big and strong.