So we were discussing the Kouprey in the chatroom this evening and it was mentioned that there's only one video and four photos of living specimens. Having only ever seen the video and the most famous photo, I decided to search Google for the others. While doing so, I found a fifth photo none of us had ever seen before. The photo (see below) is of the juvenile male kept at Vincennes mixed with what appears to be an African Forest Buffalo in the back left. But what makes this photo odd is that it appears there is a second specimen standing behind the main animal! Looking above the animal's head, there's clearly a second pair of horns and looking at the legs there are five visible. Now I'm not suggesting that this second animal is a long forgotten second Kouprey of anything, I just found this curious and thought it worth posting to see what others think. I suppose it wouldn't be crazy to say the second animal is a young Banteng? http://images.delcampe.com/img_large/auction/000/056/995/804_001.jpg?v=1 I look forward to seeing what others think! ~Thylo
Well the horns and it seems the coloration match up so I guess it's possible, but on the other hand, this photo IS in black and white AND you could only see two parts of the animal so this conclusion leads us...no where! Glad to be of assistance
I remember someone bringing a copy of this card along to a meeting of the Bartlett Society (www.zoohistory.co.uk) about ten years ago. It was discussed at great length, but we didn't really come to any conclusion.
that's really interesting. If there's anyone reading who knows French and has access to a well-appointed library they could find the article "La collection des bovinés asiatiques du Parc zoologique du Bois de Vincennes" by Urbain et al in the journal Mammalia, vol. 3 (1939). Presumably that would [or might] hold the answer. I did find this (partial) article by Urbain online but it says there was "one young male": http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k54444228/f355
Charles Wharton did a study on this species and it was published in the Phillipines( I believe it was published in the 50's). Also look at the Harold Coolidge monograph published by Harvard, I also believe it was done in the 50's. A photo was included in Pierre Ppefier's book called Asia, A natural history.
I checked the article in Mammalia and only one kouprey is mentioned that arrived in April 1937 along with a young gaur, also from Cambodia. So the animal behind the kouprey is likely to be the gaur.
Excellent; it can be pretty tricky to tell the difference between gaur and banteng when they are not fully mature, so I am glad the answer was recorded.
New photo and new video of the Paris-kouprey emerged ( Instagram ) : https://www.instagram.com/p/CeJlLSdK63n/
Thanks for sharing this unique video @vogelcommando! Just saw this thread and on the question for the second animal in Paris - it is a Gaur, indeed. You can see the both animals on the picture of this study. Naturalis Institutional Repository: Le Kou Prey ou Bœuf sauvage Cambodgien
