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| Thai Wildlife > Rare or Extinct |
Kouprey
Species: Bos Sauveli (Urbain, 1937)
Synonyms: Bibos sauveli (Urbain, 1937); Novibos sauvele (Coolidge, 1940)
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Common names: Kouprey; Kouproh
The kouprey has two toes in at the center of its hooves. The index and small toes have evolved into small hoof like parts close to the ankle.
The most important food for the kouprey is grass.
The kouprey is considered to be in the same family as the buffalo. They are characterized by a large body, long horns, and a bushy tail end. Both horns are the same size.
In both males and females the legs narrow down as they reach the ankle. The front of the legs down to the ends of the hooves are white giving the kouprey an appearance of wearing white socks.
The kouprey has a thin muscle Layer on the back. It also has hanging loose skin on its neck and the nose is wide while the ears are narrow and short.
Males are black while females are gray and the young are light brown while the male is much larger than the female. The body length ranges from 2.1-2.2 meters. The height measures 1.7-1.9 meters while the tail measures 1.0-1.1 meters. The body weight ranges from 700-900 kilograms.
Habitat ranges from the south of Laos to the north and west of Cambodia to the west of Vietnam. The kouprey is found in the northeast of Thailand along the border with Cambodia.
It likes to live in the grasslands where the food and water supply is abundant. They do not live in the dense forest or mountains and are often found along with other grass eating animals. The kouprey eats grass and leaves.
They mate in April and the mother will carry the foal for nine months, giving birth to one offspring at a time.
The situation of the kouprey is very critical and they have always been hunted for their good tasting meat, large body, and hide. To make matters worse the kouprey cannot be raised and bred in captivity.
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