KOUPREY

(species Bos sauveli), extremely rare wild ox of southeastern Asia. It was unknown to science until 1937. Classification of the kouprey is still uncertain. Some zoologists believe the animal to be a genuine wild ox, while others suggest that it may have been domesticated for several centuries and then become feral. Still others suggest that it is a hybrid. In size, the kouprey falls between the gaur and the somewhat smaller banteng. Its thin, long-legged body also possesses a large dewlap. Its hornsabout 80 cm (31.5 inches) long in the male and about half that in the femaleare similar in shape to those of the wild yak. Koupreys live in scattered forests with undergrowth and in light savannas, often traveling in the company of bantengs. Like the banteng, the kouprey is said to be shy. It is on the verge of extinction; scientists believe that fewer than 200 koupreys exist in isolated areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.