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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 quantitative ecologist and retired Professor at the Wildlife Institute of India, where he worked for more than three decades. His research integrates population ecology, landscape ecology, GIS, remote sensing and spatial modelling to inform wildlife conservation and management. He has contributed to national assessments and conservation programmes for tigers, leopards, elephants, river dolphins, ungulates, Asiatic wild ass, flamingos, barasingha, rhinoceros, cheetah, hangul, wild cattle and the Great Indian bustard. He has also worked extensively on species recovery, reintroduction, habitat connectivity, human-wildlife interactions and invasive species management. Qureshi has supervised 11 doctoral scholars and 43 master’s dissertations and has authored more than 125 peer-reviewed publications. He extensively worked on carnivore ecology and conservation. He currently serves as Science Advisor to the Wildlife Trust of India and The Corbett Foundation.

Qamar Qureshi is a quantitative ecologist and retired Professor at the Wildlife Institute of India, where he worked for more than three decades. His research integrates population ecology, landscape ...

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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