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IUCN SSC Afro- Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group
IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN SSC Afro- Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group

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Group leadership

Dr James BURTON
Dr Philippe CHARDONNET
Co-Chair
Prof Qamar QURESHI
Co-Chair
Qamar Qureshi is a professor and his career as faculty with the WII began in 1993. Earlier, he obtained an M.Phil in Wildlife Biology. He has done extensive research in the Terai, Central Indian Highlands and the Trans-Himalaya ranging from community ecology to species biology. He has a special interest in landscape ecology. He was awarded Wildlife Service Award in 2008 and Carl Zeiss Award for wildlife conservation in 2009. The last national assessment of 2018-19, where he was involved in the implementation of scientific components, was accorded a status of the Guinness world record for the largest wildlife survey with camera trap . Since 2002, he has been working with Project Tiger, Government of India, and has designed the implementation of national scale population assessments for tigers, other carnivores, ungulate and habitat. The mobile application based, GPS tracklog enabled program- M-STrIPES, designed by their team and implemented across Tiger Reserves of India has revolutionised monitoring of law enforcement patrols and ecological indicators. He is also working on National level project on Ganges dolphin conservation in India and developed conservation action plan with his team for dolphins of Brahmaputra and Ganges river systems. He published about 150 research articles so far.
Qamar Qureshi is a professor and his career as faculty with the WII began in 1993. Earlier, he obtained an M.Phil in Wildlife Biology. He has done extensive research in the Terai, Central Indian ...

More about the Specialist Group

The focus of the Specialist Group are Asia's nine wild cattle species — lowland and mountain anoa, banteng, gaur, kouprey, saola, tamaraw, wild water buffalo and wild yak — and their habitats.

The AWCSG has the following objectives:

  • Compile and synthesize information on the conservation status of all Asian wild cattle species across their range, with particular emphasis on species which are threatened
  • Act as the IUCN Red List Authority for the Asian wild ...
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More about the Specialist Group

The focus of the Specialist Group are Asia's nine wild cattle species — lowland and mountain anoa, banteng, gaur, kouprey, saola, tamaraw, wild water buffalo and wild yak — and their habitats.

The AWCSG has the following objectives:

  • Compile and synthesize information on the conservation status of all Asian wild cattle species across their range, with particular emphasis on species which are threatened
  • Act as the IUCN Red List Authority for the Asian wild cattle species
  • Develop or update conservation strategies (including education and research priorities) working with range state government agencies, NGOs, IUCN, and CITES
  • Build capacity through the exchange of information and technical expertise both within and outside the group
  • Catalyse and contribute to conservation efforts of selected projects

Approach

The AWCSG uses a range of approaches to work towards achieving its mission. To achieve the Assess and Plan phases, a Participatory Conservation Planning Workshops approach is used. This allows stakeholders to provide the most detailed information on status and threats, as well as plan appropriate actions to address the threats and knowledge gaps. This applies to the Strategic Conservation Planning Process that has been promoted by the IUCN SSC Species Conservation Planning Task Force.

To achieve the Act phase, the Asian Wild Cattle SG works with relevant stakeholders identified during the previously described planning phase. We apply the One Plan approach to conservation that integrates in situ conservation and conservation breeding (ex situ, as a back-up) into a single programme, where appropriate. 

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MISSION
The mission of the Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group (AWCSG) is to promote the long-term conservation of the Asian wild cattle species and their habitats by means of information-sharing, identification of conservation priorities and facilitation/delivery of these priority actions through collaborative conservation work.

Specialist Group work

The IUCN SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group exists to promote the long-term conservation of the nine Asian wild cattle species and their habitats by means of assessment and information-sharing, identification of conservation priorities and delivery of these priorities through collaborative conservation action.

Understanding threats to Asian Wild Cattles

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The AWCSG provides an effective worldwide network of specialists to act for the conservation of Asian Wild Cattles and maintain and encourage implementation of conservation action programmes.

Asian Wild Cattle on the IUCN Red List

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AWCSG assesses species for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to inform conservation efforts.

Annual Report

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Conservation Success Stories

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Anoa at Chester Zoo. Credit: Chester Zoo

James Burton

Juvenile tamaraw photographed during camera trap monitoring in 2021. Credit: D’ABOVILLE Foundation

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