Gaur bull

Bos gaurus.

Is this bull underweight or are his legs just that way? Almost looks like his legs are stretched.

@Sarus Crane He isn't overweight, but I think he's OK. It's partly because of the angle of the light and partly because of the delicate way he has placed his feet. He is also shown in the previous image.

@gentle lemur In the book Doc: Zoo Memories & Animal Stories by Lee G. Simmons there is a story that Omaha Zoo had a 7ft tall Gaur bull back in the day. I wonder how big Whipsnade's bull is and if there are any in captivity still in that size range.

I find it very difficult to judge sizes and compare animals of the same species in different enclosures, let alone in different zoos. My excuse is that I am concentrating on what I see in my viewfinder But I can easily believe in a bull gaur that big, and I am sure that over the years I have seen one or two that must have been very close to that size. This bull at Whipsnade is probably not that big, and he may even be getting past his prime - but all gaur are impressive, be they bulls, cows or even calves.

@gentle lemur I know and I feel that's what all these zoos (both AZA & EAZA) are missing out on by focusing only on Javan Banteng and Lowland Anoa. People tend to not think about bovids other than Angus's Herefords etc... (what we eat) and the Bison & Cape Buffalo. They forget that we still have a wild cattle species that is as big if not bigger than the extinct Auroch of Eurasia. Also I tend to favor Gaur because they are so much more visually impressive with their muscles. What you said about viewfinder I can relate to that as well because I know that my memories will fade somewhat over time, but with the camera I can preserve the moments for eternity through videos and photos!