When it comes to extreme animal facts, herbivores, rather than carnivores sometimes rank the highest on the impressive scale. Those that challenge them may also be asking for a truly monumental problem.
I will take a moment to introduce you to the Wild Gaur, for instance. This herbivore heavyweight is the world's largest bovine, measuring an incredible seven feet at the shoulder, with a weight of more than 2,200 pounds. While Guars are usually peaceful animals, they are able to defend themselves in a truly spectacular fashion should the need arise, unleashing deadly force of nearly saurian proportions.
In one especially dramatic case, a Bengal tiger attempted to stalk a wild Gaur, which was a really bad move. For the tiger, this meal never came. When observers returned, there was no sign of the Gaur at but a tree was found, smashed clear in two. Gaur remains were not present, but the body of the tiger was found at the base of the snapped tree, caught in the alert bovine's timber shattering charge.
Gaurs have been tamed by humans, but in many cases, their relationship with man is rather strained. Where disturbance is extensive, Gaurs have become nocturnal in order to avoid conflict with people. Fortunately, the Guar population has remained stable in much of its central and southeast Asian range following habitat and hunting related declines.
~ Tom McKenzie
Professional Nature Writer & Environmental Consultant
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