Evolution is an amazing mechanism invented by nature. Thanks to her, thousands of species of animals were born, very similar to each other, but at the same time having hundreds of differences. The wild bull was no exception, because his family has many subspecies.
These proud animals live in almost all corners of the globe. Representatives of wild bulls can be found in the desert savannahs of Africa, and in the snowy expanses of Tibet. What do we know about these animals? What are they special about? And why is their fate considered one of the most tragic on the planet?
The sad fate of the horned giant
Once upon a time in the vastness of modern Europe there was a wild bull tour. It was a magnificent beast, weighing a little less than a ton. His horns were made to tremble with fear of numerous enemies, with the exception of man. Indeed, thanks to the latter, this species of wild bulls has not survived to our times.
Wild bull tour was a good source of meat and skin, because of this, hunting was open for him. And given the slowness of the beast, even the weakest hunter could kill him. According to historical data, the last round died in 1627. And yet, the memory of him did not disappear, because it was this mighty handsome man who is the ancestor of almost all known types of bulls, including domestic ones.
Bison is the closest relative of the tour
One of the closest relatives of the tour is the bison. This is a large animal, reaching almost 2 m at the withers. At the same time, the weight of a giant sometimes exceeds the limit of one ton, which makes it one of the largest representatives of its kind. The bison has a dark brown coat, which is able to warm it in severe frosts.
Previously, this wild bull lived throughout the territory of modern Europe, Russia, as well as in the Caucasus. But, as in the case of tours, the animal was often attacked by people. This led to the fact that the number of bison sharply decreased, and at the beginning of the XX century they found themselves on the verge of complete extinction.
They were saved from oblivion by environmental organizations, which took up the restoration of the bison population. They placed these animals in reserves, where they are still under close surveillance and protection.
Wild bulls of north america
Another relative of the tour, but this time already overseas, is a bison. This wild forest bull lives in North America and its appearance is very similar to the bison. True, the bison’s coat is much longer than its relative’s, and sometimes it reaches 50 cm in length.
And yet, as in the case of bison, this wild bull was also subjected to tyranny on the part of man. So, if at the beginning of the XIX century their population numbered more than 60 million heads, then a century later this number fell to the mark of 1 thousand. What was the reason for this? The answer is simple - immigrants.
The new colonialists began to kill animals in order to feed the workers who built the railway tracks. A little later, hunting for bison became more like fun than hunting for food. There were even actions according to which those who bought train tickets could shoot poor animals from the windows.
Fortunately, over time, people came to their senses, at least some of them. The bison were taken under protection and provided them with all the necessary conditions for population growth. Now this wild bull is safe, but nevertheless, environmentalists continue to closely monitor their numbers.
In the cold mountains of Tibet
The snowy mountains of Tibet served as a haven for one of the most amazing animals - the yak. This is a wild bull with huge horns that reach 80 cm in length. Thick brown wool protects it from frost and snowfall. And muscular legs allow you to easily move from one cliff to a second.
And although the yak can be found in other regions of Central Asia, such as Altai and Kyrgyzstan, still only in Tibet do these animals feel at home. After all, here their contact with a person is minimized, which means that nothing threatens their freedom.
Fans of hot countries: gaur and buffalo
On the territory of India haur lives - a wild bull, striking in its size. Cases were recorded when adults reached a weight of 1.3-1.4 tons. The height of an adult beast ranges from 1.8-2.2 m at the withers. Gaura’s horns are not too big, in any case less than that of relatives. The coat has a dark brown color, and with age it darkens and becomes almost black.
Another buffalo is the buffalo. This animal lives in the savannahs of Africa, where the temperature sometimes exceeds the threshold of 40 degrees in the shade. This animal has strong horns, almost fused at the bottom.
And although this wild bull has an impressive size, it still has enemies among the local inhabitants. Lions and crocodiles quite often hunt them, and, nevertheless, the population of these animals is out of danger.
