• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.789-793
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• 2008

The gayal (Bos frontalis) in China is a very rare semi-wild and semi-domestic bovine species. There still exist remarkable divergences on the gayal's origin and taxonomic status. In the present study, the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene entire sequences (1,140 bp) of 11 gayals in Yunnan China were analyzed. Combined with other bovine Cyt b sequences cited in GenBank, the phylogenetic trees of genus Bos were reconstructed by neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods with Bubalus bubalis as outgroup. Sequence analysis showed that, among 1,140 sites compared for 11 gayals, 95 variable sites (8.33% of all sites) and 6 different haplotypes were observed, showing abundant mitochondrial genetic diversity in gayals. Both NJ and MP trees demonstrated that gayals in this study were markedly divided into three embranchments: one embranchment clustering with Bos gaurus, another clustering with Bos taurus, and the third clustering with Bos indicus. The result of phylogenetic analysis suggested that the gayal might be the domesticated form of the gaur, and a great proportion of the gayal bloodline in China was invaded by other bovine species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.900-907
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• 2007

Three male Gayal (Bos frontalis) and three male Yunnan Yellow cattle (Bos taurus) were fed pelleted lucerne and measurements made of digestibility, nitrogen utilisation, rumen fermentation and microbial population and key plasma metabolites. Total actual dry matter intake was similar but when expressed in terms of live weight or metabolic live weight feed intakes were significantly higher (p<0.05) for Gayal than cattle. Apparent digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, fibre and dietary nitrogen were similar for both Gayal and cattle. Rumen ammonia nitrogen and total volatile fatty acids were significantly higher (p<0.05) for Gayal than cattle and total numbers of viable rumen bacteria, cellulolytic and amylolytic bacteria, but not proteolytic bacteria nor protozoa, were significantly greater (p<0.05) for Gayal than cattle. Although Gayal have a different rumen ecology to cattle, similar digestive parameters were exhibited. Further research is required to establish relationship between rumen ecology and digestive parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1368-1372
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• 2014

Several studies arduously reported that gayal (Bos frontalis) is an independent bovine species. The population size is shrinking across its distribution. In Bangladesh, it is the only wild relative of domestic cattle and also a less cared animal. Their body size is much bigger than Bangladeshi native cattle and has prominent beef type characters along with the ability to adjust in any adverse environmental conditions. Human interactions and manipulation of biodiversity is affecting the habitats of gayals in recent decades. Besides, the only artificial reproduction center for gayals, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), has few animals and could not carry out its long term conservation scheme due to a lack of an objective based scientific mission as well as financial support. This indicates that the current population is much more susceptible to stochastic events which might be natural catastrophes, environmental changes or mutations. Further reduction of the population size will sharply reduce genetic diversity. In our recent investigation with 80K indicine single nucleotide polymorphism chip, the $F_{IS}$ (within-population inbreeding) value was reported as $0.061{\pm}0.229$ and the observed ($0.153{\pm}0.139$) and expected ($0.148{\pm}0.143$) heterozygosities indicated a highly inbred and less diverse gayal population in Bangladesh. Prompt action is needed to tape the genetic information of this semi-domesticated bovine species with considerable sample size and try to investigate its potentials together with native zebu cattle for understanding the large phenotypic variations, improvement and conservation of this valuable creature.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.331-334
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• 2003

The assessment of reproductive potentials of female gayal under semi-intensive management was conducted with 18 animals in Bandarban hilly area of Bangladesh. Age at first estrous (days), age at first conception (days), length of estrous cycle (days), number of service per conception (natural), gestation period (days), age at first calving (days), and calving interval (natural service) (days) of gayal were $598.2{\pm}168.44$, $723{\pm}169.94$, $21.86{\pm}2.93$, 1.41, $296.05{\pm}3.87$, $1014.42{\pm}260.32$ and $465{\pm}80.48$ respectively. Daily milk yield and lactation length of gayal were $304.98{\pm}30.46ml/day$ and $116.67{\pm}8.08days$. Gayal male calves had higher birth weight (19.67 kg) than female calves (15.58 kg) in first lactation. Birth weight increases in second and third lactation than first lactation in both male and female calves. Highest conception rate observed in winter season and 70.60% successful conception occur when service was given within 21-30 h of estrous. Maximum number of female gayal use to come in estrous in winter and calved in monsoon and autumn. Cervicitis and irregular heat were the most reproductive problems followed by metritis, case of abortion, anestrous and repeat breeding. From this study it was observed that the reproductive performance of gayal is very close with the domestic cattle. It may use as beef cattle for the hilly regions of Bangladesh.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1208-1214
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• 2007

Three male Gayal, two years of age and with a mean live weight of $203{\pm}26$ kg, and three adult Yunnan Yellow Cattle, with a mean live weight of $338{\pm}18$ kg were fed a ration of pelleted lucerne hay and used to collect rumen fluid for in vitro measurements of digestibilities and gas production from fermentation of a range of forages. The forages were: bamboo stems, bamboo twigs, bamboo leaves, rice straw, barley straw, annual ryegrass hay, smooth vetch hay and pelleted lucerne hay. There were significant (p<0.05) effects of the source of rumen fluid on in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and gas production during fermentation of forage. For the roughage of lowest quality (bamboo stems and rice straw), gas production during fermentation was higher (p<0.05) in the presence of rumen fluid from Gayal than Yunnan Yellow Cattle. Differences for these parameters were found for the better quality roughages with gas production being enhanced in the presence of rumen fluid from Yunnan Yellow Cattle. Moreover, the IVDMD of investigated roughages was significantly higher (p<0.05) in Gayal than Yunnan Yellow Cattle. The results offer an explanation for the positive live weight gains recorded for Gayal foraging in their natural environment where the normal diet consists of poor quality roughages.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.1245-1249
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• 2001

A study was conducted with 14 gayals to study their growth pattern from birth to 24 months of age, and gayal was compared with native calves and crossbred calves of gayals and exotic animals. A significant difference in liveweight gains up to 3 months (p<0.001) or up to 6 months (p<0.05) was found between gayal and native calves, but the difference reduced with increase of age and found non-significant (p>0.05) at 9 months and 12 months. The daily liveweight gain up to 3, 6, 9 or 12 months of age of gayals were 404.60, 306.80, 315.20 and 312.20 g/d, respectively and of native calves were 217.3, 245.3, 262.0 and 269.0 g/d, respectively. Gayal female calves had lower weights at birth (20.2 kg) and weaning (81.8 kg) and daily liveweight gains (298.5 g/d) than males (24.3 kg, 84.0 kg and 317.8 g/d, respectively) but the differences were not significant (p>0.05). Cross breeding gayal cows with Friesian bulls increased daily liveweight gain of the crossbred calves. The rate of increase of daily liveweight gain may further be increased if gayals are crossed with beef type animals, and optimum feeding may also be required which needs further research.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1057-1066
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• 2007

Six male Gayal (Bos frontalis), approximately two years of age and with a mean live weight of $203{\pm}17$ kg ($mean{\pm}standard\;deviation$), were housed indoors in metabolism cages and fed bamboo (Sinarundinaria) leaves and twigs. After an adjustment period of 24 days of feeding the diet, samples of rumen liquor were obtained for analyses of bacteria in the liquor. The diversity of rumen bacteria was investigated by constructing a 16S rDNA clone library. A total of 147 clones, comprising nearly full length sequences (with a mean length of 1.5 kb) were sequenced and submitted to an on-line similarity search and phylogenetic analysis. Using the criterion of 97% or greater similarity with the sequences of known bacteria, 17 clones were identified as Ruminococcus albus, Butyrivibrio fibrosolvens, Quinella ovalis, Clostridium symbiosium, Succiniclasticum ruminis, Selenomonas ruminantium and Allisonella histaminiformans, respectively. A further 22 clones shared similarity ranging from 90-97% with known bacteria but the similarity in sequences for the remaining 109 clones was less than 90% of those of known bacteria. Using a phylogenetic analysis it was found that the majority of the clones identified (57.1%) were located in the low G+C subdivision, with most of the remainder (42.2% of clones) located in the Cytophage-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) phylum and one clone (0.7%) was identified as a Spirochaete. It was apparent that Gayal have a large and diverse range of bacteria in the rumen liquor which differ from those of cattle and other ruminants. This may explain the greater live weights of Gayal, compared to cattle, grazing in the harsh natural environments in which Gayal are located naturally.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1599-1603
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• 2003

The physical feature, physiological character and behavior studies were conducted with fifteen newly collected gayals in Bandarban hill tract area of Bangladesh. Their morphology is different from domestic cattle. The range of pulse rate, body temperature and respiration rate were 47 to 75 per minute, 37.78 to $38.88^{\circ}C$ and 20 to 40 per minute, respectively. These physiological values vary with different age group and seasonal variation. In hematological feature, the average findings were RBC $7.01{\pm}0.52$ million/cu.mm, WBC $14.3{\pm}3.69$ thousand/cu.mm, hemoglobin concentration $9.81{\pm}2.25gm%$, PCV $35.86{\pm}3.68%$. In differential WBC count neutrophils $28.23{\pm}1.75%$, lymphocytes $62{\pm}2.05%$, monocytes $4.4{\pm}1.34%$, eosinophils $5{\pm}2.49%$ and basophils $0.4{\pm}0.51%$. In behavior study, the animal shows browsing nature on hill slopes. They are watchful in new environment, become excited and nervous with strangers. Heated female gayals response for mating with domestic bull.