Dao Xuan Thuy, director of Chu Mom Ray National Park, said on April 19 that automatic forest cameras had captured multiple sightings of gaur, a species at risk of extinction.
The animal, scientifically known as Bos gaurus, is a large wild bovine distinguished by its dark coat and strong build, commonly associated with the mountainous forests of Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
Camera trap image of a gaur at Chu Mom Ray National Park (Photo: Chu Mom Ray National Park).
According to Thuy, camera trap data show that the gaur population in the park prefers mixed forest areas near water sources. Surveys estimate that fewer than 20 individuals remain within the park’s boundaries, feeding mainly on forest grasses and young bamboo.
Forest rangers regularly collect data from the camera system each month to monitor population trends and develop appropriate conservation measures.
A rare herd of silvered langurs in Chu Mom Ray National Park (Photo: Chu Mom Ray National Park).
The system has also recorded numerous other endangered species listed in Vietnam’s Red Book, including the Asiatic black bear, silvered langur, black shanked douc, red shanked douc, white langur, crested argus and other rare birds.
Covering more than 56,200 hectares, Chu Mom Ray National Park is home to around 1,000 animal species, including 112 classified as rare or endangered, as well as nearly 1,900 plant species, 192 of them endemic.
