A NEW SPECIES OF LIVING BOVID FROM VIETNAM

IN May 1992 a joint survey by the Ministry of Forestry and World Wide Fund for Nature of the Vu Quang Nature Reserve, Ha tinh province, foun d three sets of long straight horns of a new bovid (Mammalia, Artiodac tyla) in hunters' houses1. None of the specimens had dentition. On fou r follow-up visits by Vietnamese scientists new specimens were discove red and surveys of forests in neighbouring Nghe an province revealed m ore localities and some partial specimens. In all, we have examined mo re than 20 specimens. Three have complete upper skulls and dentitions, two have lower jaws and dentitions. Three complete skins have been co llected. The specimens are distinct in appearance, morphology and DNA sequence and cannot be ascribed to any known genus. Only two bovid gen era are known from this part of Asia, Bos and Naemorhedus = Capricorni s2,3. A new genus and species are therefore described. Such a discover y is of great significance. It has been more than 50 years since any c omparable find of a large mammal species has been made; the last being the kouprey Bos = Novibos sauveli, another Indochinese bovid (Urbain, 1937). Moreover, the bovids (cattle, goats and antelopes) are a mamma l family of great value to mankind. Many species have proven or potent ial value for domestication or cross-breeding. A three-month field stu dy is planned to observe the living animal.