The number of gayals living in forests between the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc is likely to decrease, according to Director of the Dong Nai Biophere Reserve Tran Van Mui.

This is a result of the conflicts between the 130 gayals living in the forests and local people and animals.

The area of the natural forest in Dong Phu district in Binh Phuoc province, the main home of the bovine has been shrunk to 3,000 hectares in 2012 from 5,000 hectares in 2005, this leads to the scarcity of food for such animal.

Poaching is another problem. Up to three gayals of the forests were illegally hunted from 2010 to 2012.

The conflicts tend to worsen when several gayals in the forests recently flocked to and destroyed orchards and vegetable gardens of the local.

They are also at a risk of catching diseases from domestic oxen regularly grazed in the reserve by the local people.

To ease the conflicts, numerous solutions have been worked out, including those on expanding the living environment for gayals, constructing a 30 km electronic fence and launching awareness campaigns among the locals.

Gayal, a rare and endangered species, is named in the Vietnam Red Book and the World Red Book.-VNA