In 1849, 20 Banteng cattle (also called Bali cattle or Bos
javanicus) were brought to the Cobourg Peninsula in the
Northern Territory from Bali in Indonesia. Banteng are smaller than
beef cattle and have distinct white patches on their rump and lower
legs. The European settlement on the Cobourg was abandoned shortly
after the animals were imported, and the cattle were left to run
wild. They survived as a feral population, unknown to scientists,
until they were re-discovered in that isolated area in 1948.
Much of the Peninsula is now Gurig National Park, jointly
managed by its traditional owners and the NT Conservation
Commission. Banteng are abundant in the Park, numbering in the
thousands, and there is some evidence of their impact on native
ecosystems through heavy grazing. However, they are a valued trophy
animal for hunters and hence a source of income for the traditional
owners.
Back in their original homeland of South-East Asia, Banteng
cattle are now extremely rare, and the IUCN has listed the species
as vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. The herd in
Australia is the largest in the world. What is just another feral
animal to us has become an important conservation resource for the
rest of the planet. Australia may now have to take into account the
endangered nature of the species when considering how to manage the
population
To see a recent list of research findings click here .
