The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands, the presence of hair or fur; specialized teeth; the presence of a neocortex region in the brain; and endothermic or 'warm-blooded' bodies. The brain regulates endothermic and circulatory system, including a four-chambered heart. In India there are 410 species, 186 genera, 45 families and 13 orders of which nearly 89 species are listed as threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006).

The gaur (Bos gaurus), also called Indian bison, is the largest extant bovine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Gaur are largely confined to evergreen forests or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. Gaur habitat is characterized by large, relatively undisturbed forest tracts, hilly terrain below an altitude of 5000 to 6000 ft (1500 to 1800 m), availability of water, and an abundance of forage in the form of grasses, bamboo, shrubs, and trees.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable (VU) Photo: N.A. Naseer