Nui Chua National Park - Phuoc Binh: Hoping to continue preserving and developing the hybrid gaur gene source

Over the years, the hybrid gaur herd has contributed to the reputation of Phuoc Binh National Park (now merged with Nui Chua National Park to form Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park). To preserve and promote the value, especially the rare genetic resources, Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park hopes that the Provincial People's Committee will have a policy on continuing to preserve and develop the hybrid gaur genetic resources after 2025.

The herd of cows recovered and became energetic.

In late 2009, a male gaur weighing about 1 ton, over 1m7 tall, with a jet-black, muscular body, regularly came down the mountain to "make friends" with domestic cows of the people in Bac Ray 2 village (Bac Ai Tay commune). From 2009 to 2015, through natural mating between the male gaur and some local cows, more than 20 hybrid gaurs were born; these hybrid gaurs are larger than domestic cows of the same age and are as aggressive as wild gaurs. The case of hybrids between wild gaurs and domestic cows is considered by experts and scientists to be very rare in nature.

The hybrid gaur herd is currently raised and cared for in a semi-natural environment at Nui Chua National Park - Phuoc Binh.

Since the discovery of wild male gaurs mating with domestic cows to produce rare F1 hybrid gaurs, there have been 3 scientific research topics on the conservation and use of F1 hybrid gaur gene sources. In previous projects, 10 F1 hybrid gaurs from households were purchased by the project owner to raise and serve scientific research; the effectiveness was not yet achieved, but public opinion was outraged because the rare hybrid gaur herd was abandoned, malnourished, and emaciated. After that, the hybrid gaur herd of 10 F1 and 1 F2 was handed over to Phuoc Binh National Park (old) for care, raising and continuing to implement the topic "Conservation and sustainable use of F1 hybrid gaur gene sources between domestic cows and male gaurs". When relocated to a semi-wild habitat, with adequate food and good care, the hybrid gaur herd recovered strongly; The F2 cows mated with domestic cows to produce the F3 generation. However, during the breeding process, an F1 bull died due to herd conflict.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - an officer of the Management Board of Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, Head of the project "Conservation and sustainable use of F1 hybrid gaur gene sources between domestic cows and male gaurs" said: "Currently, the rare hybrid gaur herd is being cared for at the botanical garden of Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, including 9 F1 generation hybrids, 1 F2 generation hybrid and 1 F3 generation hybrid. After a period of care and nurturing, the hybrid gaur herd is very healthy and energetic. Recently, the hybrid male gaurs often broke the fence to go out to find domestic cows. We have made a report and proposed solutions to maintain this rare gene source by separating the herd to crossbreed male gaurs with domestic cows and between domestic bulls with hybrid female gaurs to produce the next generation of hybrids with gaur blood."

Concerns ahead

It is known that in order to assess the development potential and find solutions to manage and care for the hybrid gaur herd after 2025, at the end of 2024, Phuoc Binh National Park (old) coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology of Ninh Thuan province (old) to organize a scientific workshop. After the workshop, this unit reported and recommended that the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan province (old) continue to allow the assessment and implementation of research on: Hybrid gaur gene sources following the "breeding chain" approach, including issues of gene source assessment, embryo creation, artificial insemination, nutrition, veterinary medicine, grazing environment, etc. Scientists also said that there are currently many modern technologies for crossbreeding between gaur and domestic cattle to preserve the gene sources of rare animals, but these crossbreeding technologies require high techniques and high costs. To preserve the rare genetic resources of hybrid gaurs, experts also proposed to consider the option of transferring a number of healthy hybrid male gaurs to specialized agencies such as the Central Center for Large Livestock Breeding for training and exploitation of frozen semen production to serve the conservation and development of genetic resources; after producing frozen semen, the cows and frozen semen will be handed over to the host unit...

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - officer of the Management Board of Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, next to the hybrid gaur specimen.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan added: “The project on Conservation and sustainable use of F1 hybrid gaur gene sources between domestic cows and male gaur will be completed by the end of 2025. Currently, most of the hybrid gaur individuals have reached the end of their life cycle, so they are very susceptible to disease and death, so it is necessary to have a proactive response plan. What we are concerned about is that once the hybrid gaur herd ends its life cycle, the dream of crossbreeding a completely new breed of cattle (a hybrid between wild wild gaur and domestic cow) will also disappear. Currently, the facilities to care for the hybrid gaur herd are available, we recommend that the Provincial People's Committee have a policy and budget for developing a plan or project to preserve and develop the hybrid gaur gene source at Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park after 2025 to continue to protect and care for this hybrid gaur herd for the purpose of scientific research, tourism, etc. forest environmentaleducation …”.

According to information from Nui Chua - Phuoc Binh National Park, through camera traps in Gia Nhong and Da Den streams in 2024, the existence of 3 gaur herds with about 13 - 17 individuals was recorded. Specifically, on Gia Nhong stream, there are two herds: The first herd has 4 - 6 individuals, of which one is still young; the second herd has 3 - 4 adults. Da Den stream has a larger herd, with about 6 - 7 adults. Gaur has the scientific name Bos gaurus, classified as endangered in the Vietnam Red Book and vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.

HAI LANG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/kinh-te/202507/vuon-quoc-gia-nui-chua-phuoc-binhmong-tiep-tuc-bao-ton-phat-trien-nguon-gen-bo-tot-lai-d212234/