In early July, Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park in Bac Ai Tay Commune, Khanh Hoa Province, is still caring for 10 hybrid gaur, including nine F1 hybrids aged between 13 and 16 and one F2 hybrid more than nine years old.
Of the 10 animals being raised, two have shown signs of old age and weakness. The healthy male hybrids have dark brown, glossy coats and still retain the aggressive traits of wild animals. By contrast, some of the older and weaker individuals have lighter, thinning coats.
A healthy hybrid gaur being raised at Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park (Photo: Trung Thi).
Binh To Ha, 28, who helps care for the herd, said the hybrid gaur have hearty appetites. They are fed three times a day and consume more than 100 kilogrammes of rough green fodder, including six rolls of straw and two cartloads of fresh grass. During the rearing process, some animals have gored one another, causing injuries and a decline in health.
According to the management board of Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, the herd originated in the 2009-2015 period, when a wild male gaur regularly appeared in the Bac Ray 2 hamlet area of Bac Ai Tay Commune.
The gaur repeatedly joined local residents' cattle herds to feed on grassland and mate naturally with cows. That process produced F1 hybrids carrying gaur genes.
After years of rearing, some hybrid gaur have shown signs of ageing, with their coat colour gradually fading (Photo: Trung Thi).
Recognising the scientific and conservation value of the hybrid population, authorities launched science and technology research projects from 2013 to study, preserve and develop this rare gene pool. The aim was to conserve F1 and F2 hybrids, examine their reproductive capacity and work towards producing offspring carrying the gaur's valuable genes.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, a representative of the management board of Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, said technical staff had for years monitored mating among F1 individuals, as well as between F1 bulls and F2 cows, under semi-natural grazing conditions.
The results showed that natural mating had been recorded many times. In 2025 alone, there were 13 mating events among F1 individuals. However, no successful pregnancies have been recorded so far.
The hybrid gaur are fed mainly on fresh grass and dry straw (Photo: Trung Thi).
According to Tuan, the reason may be linked to genetic incompatibility among the hybrids due to differences in chromosome structure. Monitoring of reproduction between F2 cows and domestic bulls has also failed to identify any outstanding traits or distinctive expression of gaur genes.
A representative of the management board said funding for the herd's care had previously come from scientific research projects. However, after the most recent project ended in late 2025, the unit has not been allocated further funding to maintain the population.
For now, the animals are being cared for with temporary advance funding. Conservation staff hope local authorities will soon allocate resources to continue preserving, researching and promoting the value of the herd's rare gene pool.
