MITHUN

Dec. 29, 2018

The killing of at least 10 mithuns — the State animal of Arunachal Pradesh — in the last one month in Assam has created tensions between Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring Assam.

About:

  • The mithun or gayal (Bos frontalis), is considered a descendant of the Indian Gaur or bison.

  • It is distributed in Northeast India, Bangladesh, northern Myanmar and in Yunnan, China.

  • Reared under free-range conditions in hilly forests, the mithun is known as the ‘cattle of the mountain’.

  • It plays an important role in the socio-economic and cultural life of tribes such as the Nyishi, Apatani, Galo and Adi in Arunachal Pradesh.

  • The gayal is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

  • IUCN status:

  • It is listed in CITES Appendix I.

Source : The Hindu