Mithun : Spotted
Bovine animal Mithun has been spotted in Assam for the first time, the Chief Minister said recently.
- Mithun or gayal (Bos frontalis) is a heavily built, semi-domesticated bovine species.
- Mithun is believed to have originated more than 8000 years ago and is considered to be a descendant of wild Indian gauror bison.
- It is known as the ‘cattle of the mountain’.
- The highest concentration of mithuns in the world is spread over the North Eastern (NE) region of India, with Arunachal Pradesh having the highest population.
- It is also found in parts of Southeast Asia, viz., Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan.
- The geographic zone is covered with tropical evergreen rainforests.
- It is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
- The ‘Soulung’ festival is observed annually by the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh to commensurate the birth and arrival of Mithun on this earth.