Bad at Goodbyes

Rough Transcript

Intro 00:05

Welcome to Bad at Goodbyes.

On today’s show we consider the Banteng.

Species Information 02:05

The Banteng is a critically endangered bovine mammal native to Southeast Asia, specifically Java, Borneo, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

 

The Banteng is in the bovid family, so like cow, bison, wildebeest. They are large grazers, measuring roughly 7 feet in length, and 6 feet in height (measured at the shoulder), and can weigh up to 2000 lbs. So like the weight of a small subcompact car or like two grand pianos.

 

Visually, Banteng share some features with common domesticated cattle, um, looking a bit like a sleeker, muscular ox, though with longer legs, and a shoulder ridge, a bit like a bison. 

 

Banteng exhibit sexual dimorphism, most simply meaning that females and males of the species look different from each other in some significant ways (uh, beyond just having different reproductive organs). Morph comes from the greek for form or shape, the prefix di means two, so sexual dimorphism: Two Forms based on Sex (female/male).

 

Sexual dimorphism in the Banteng presents a bit in size and very noticeably in their coats. Female Banteng are generally shorter and weigh less than males, and have a reddish-brown coat with a dark stripe along the back. Male’s coats are black or very dark brown.

 

Both females and males have white fur on their lower legs, a white rump, a white muzzle, white spots above their eyes and a tail with a black tuft at the end.

 

Both male and female Banteng grow horns. The horns grow from the sides of the topback of their head, behind the ears, with an upward crescent arc. Female horns are generally shorter and more tightly curved. Male horns are longer, thicker, and arc slightly forward. Banteng horns can grow up to 3 ft in length from base to tip.

 

Banteng have a long muzzle, a wide black nose, large furry ears, and deep black eyes.

 

Banteng are social animals, living in herds of one male, multiple females and their offspring, ranging in size from a few individuals to groups of 40. They communicate through vocalizations, like snorts, bellows, and high-pitch alarm calls.They have a strong sense of smell which is also likely used for communication within the herd, for scent marking and signaling of reproductive status. Use of body language and tactile communication has also been observed. Males will thump the ground and gesture with their horns to express dominance. Herds exhibit allogrooming, a social behavior where one animal grooms another of the same species, in the case of the Banteng they lick one another, a kind of social bonding to show affection, and reinforce social hierarchies.

 

Banteng are polygynous, meaning that one male will mate with multiple females. Mating occurs in May and June, gestation is 9-10 months long and the new calves are born the following March and April. The mother gives birth to a single calf, who can stand and walk shortly after birth. Calves nurse for 6-9 months with mothers providing primary care, though protection of the young is supported by the herd. Young reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years and are considered full grown in 3-5 years. They can live up to about 20 years old, their coats greying in old age.

 

Banteng are shy, wary, highly alert animals. In undisturbed forest, they are generally diurnal, active during the day. But in habitats encroached upon by human presence, they are predominantly nocturnal, feeding throughout the night and hiding, taking shelter in dense vegetation and forests during the daytime.

 

Banteng are herbivores with a diet of grasses, herbs, bamboo, leaves, shoots, flowers, and fruits. Their diet and foraging locations shift across seasons based on rainfall and food availability.

 

During the dry season, herds typically move to dry valleys or more open lowlands where their primary diet consists of grass. During monsoon season herds will move into forest highlands and bamboo jungles and their diet shifts to more fruits, leaves, and shoots.

 

Banteng can go without water for long stretches during droughts but tend to congregate close to streams during the dry season when other water sources may dry up. They rely on salt licks for vital mineral intake. A salt lick is like is exactly what it sounds like, a natural mineral deposit that the Banteng lick to intake essential mineral nutrients. These nutrients are so vital that in the absence of a nearby deposit, Banteng herds have been observed drinking seawater to meet their mineral requirements.

 

Researchers estimate that the Banteng was first domesticated over 5000 years ago. And we need to make distinctions between three different kinds of populations, though all are the same species: Domesticated Banteng, who have been bred for millenia for their meat, and for infrequent use as labor animals. Feral Banteng, these are formerly domesticated populations who now live without human management. And of course wild Banteng, the focus of our interest on this show; these are populations that have survived outside of human intervention.

 

This leads to a complicated perception problem for conservationists: the Banteng, having been part of human society for thousands of years, is considered like common cattle, it is not thought of as like special or rare and yet its wild population is profoundly endangered.

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In the dream

 

And only in a dream, I would never truly wish for this in waking life: I dream to be in the presence of, accepted by, and even a comfort to, this wild wary kin. “You’ve likely not tuned-in,” I say “But I make a podcast about animals.” And the herd snorts its approval. And they we walk the forest trails together peacefully, among grey coated elders and the young calves. We drink at brook, we rest in the shade. I am eyed by a timid chestnut hued youngling and hold out my salt lick, and gentle coaxing she approaches me sweetly. To pet its new fur, to be perceived as a protector, not a threat. To know the open trust of another shy being.

 

In the dream

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Banteng are native to a wide range of Southeast Asia, with wild populations in Cambodia, Java, Borneo, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. And they are found in a wide range of ecosystems: open dry deciduous forests, semi-deciduous monsoon forests, tropical dipterocarp forest, lower montane forest, seasonal freshwater swamp forest, beach forest, bamboo forest, and grasslands with dense forest patches. They’re found across elevations ranging from sea level to mountain forest up to a mile and half above sea level.

 

Across these habitats is a preference for a landscape with both thick forest vegetation and glades of grasses, as well as access to freshwater. And as mentioned earlier, Banteng show a strong preference for habitats undisturbed by human intrusion.

 

Generally, this is a tropical monsoon climate. Wet from roughly May to November with monsoons that bring roughly 45 inches of rainfall followed by a drier period from December to April. High temperatures in the dry season can crest into the upper 90s°F, though temps are relatively stable throughout the year, averaging in the low 80s°F and only fluctuating about 8 degrees from the warmest to coldest months.

 

Due to its wide range, the Banteng shares its habitat with thousands and thousands of species, like:

Water Buffalo, Java Grass, Fig Tree, Water Monitor, Spear Grass, Showy Desmodium, Javan Kingfisher, Climbing Hempweed, Tiger, Green Peafowl, Banded Pitta, White-Bellied Woodpecker, Bearded Pig, Para Grass, Giant Crape-Myrtle, Javan Rhinoceros, Long-Tailed Grass Lizard, Muntjac, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Atlas Moth, Wild Boar, Spotted Deer, Komodo Dragon, Bamboo, Borneo Pygmy Elephant, Javan Pond Heron, and many many more.

 

Historically, habitat loss and degradation have been the primary threat to the Banteng. Human transformation and destruction of forest and grassland for timber, and agricultural use like coffee plantations and livestock ranching, along with mining and infrastructure development like roads and human settlements has significantly reduced the Banteng’s available native habitat.

 

Today, those concerns continue alongside other pressures.

 

Human induced climate change resulting in more frequent and severe drought impacts water availability and the plant populations that the Banteng relies on for food. Human introduced invasive plant species, like the Siam Weed and the Common Lantana are outcompeting native forage plants, again, reducing food availability.

 

There is documented evidence of disease transmission from domestic cattle to wild Banteng populations. As well as competition from domestic cattle for food and water resources. And interbreeding with domestic cattle poses a threat to the genetic integrity of wild Banteng populations, potentially leading to the loss of unique genetic adaptations.

 

And lastly, a pressing contemporary threat is the hunting and poaching of wild Banteng, which is occurring both within and outside of protected areas. Banteng are hunted for their meat, both by local communities and for commercial trade. Their horns are used in traditional medicines. And they are hunted for sport, their horns are taken as trophies. These hunters and poachers are using firearms, radio communication, trained dogs, snares and electrocution to slaughter the Banteng.

 

I do not like to dwell in cruelty but perhaps understanding and confronting these poaching practices might strengthen our resolve to demand change, and support conservation efforts. Um, I’m not going to be particularly graphic but consider this a content warning (of violence against animals) ; feel free to rejoin us in roughly 2 and half minutes for more hopeful details about current conservation.

 

Okay, so I think we can imagine what radio coordinated firearm poaching and use of hunting dogs looks like, but regarding snares and electrocution:

 

A snare is a trap made from a loop of wire cable, anchored to a tree or heavy object, placed near watering holes, feeding sites and trails. When a Banteng walks through the loop, it can get caught around their neck, torso, leg, or foot and as they struggle to free themselves, the noose tightens, leading to severe injuries, perhaps strangulation, bleedout or slow starvation over time.

 

Regarding electrocution, poachers will rig-up electrified hunting wires connected to a power source. These live wires are placed again in areas frequented by the Banteng. And when a Banteng comes into contact with the wire, it receives a powerful electric shock, killing them, or incapacitating them, or seriously injuring them.

 

Poachers often use snares and electrified wire because they are inexpensive, relatively easy to set up, and importantly can be left unattended, which reduces the risk of getting caught. These tactics are both brutal and cowardly.

 

Fortunately, researchers, organizations, and governments are working to protect the Banteng. Banteng are legally protected in every nation across their range, and many have specific anti-poaching laws. Most of the Banteng population live within protected wildernesses, National Parks, Nature Reserves, and Wildlife Sanctuaries. There are both on-site and off-site captive breeding programs in place and successful reintroduction of Banteng back into wild habitats was documented in 2019 and 2021. In these protected places, monitoring efforts include population census and tracking, cameras, roaming anti-poaching patrols, and coordination with local law enforcement and local educators.

 

Science communication has proven to be an effective tool, a 2021 study in Thailand found that education, media attention, and outreach increased ethical and conservation concern for wildlife, shifting social norms away from wildlife hunting, and reducing the rate of poaching by 75%.

 

Nevertheless the Banteng has been considered critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2024 and their population is currently in decline.

 

Our most recent counts estimate that less than 3300 Banteng remain in the wild.

Citations 30:38

Information for today’s show about the Banteng was compiled from:

 

Animal Diversity Web from the University of Michigan. Saari, J. 2002. “Bos javanicus” (On-line) – https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bos_javanicus/ 

 

Animals (Basel). v. 13, issue 2:198. Jan 5, 2023. Chaiyarat R, Sriphonkrang N, Khamsirinan P, Nakbun S, Youngpoy N. “Age Structure, Development and Population Viability of Banteng (Bos javanicus) in Captive Breeding for Ex-Situ Conservation and Reintroduction”. – https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020198 

 

bioRxiv 2025.04.01.646613. Xi Wang, Sabhrina Gita Aninta, Genís Garcia-Erill, Zilong Li, Anubhab Khan, Xiaodong Liu, Laura D. Bertola, Anik Budhi Dharmayanthi, Yulianto, Yonathan, Conor Rossi, Reagan Cauble-Sims, Benjamin D. Rosen, Darren E. Hagen, Michael P. Heaton, Timothy P. L. Smith, Johannes A. Lenstra, Nuno F.G. Martins, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Muhammad Agil, Bambang Purwantara, Christina Hvilsom, Gono Semiadi, Rasmus Heller. “Population structure and domestication history of the Javan banteng (Bos javanicus javanicus)” – https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.01.646613 

 

Human Dimensions of Wildlife v. 10 no.2: 123–35. deKoninck, Vanessa. 2005. “Joint Management of Banteng (Bos Javanicus) in a Contested Cultural Landscape: Observations and Implications.” – https://doi.org/10.1080/10871200590931815 

 

IUCN. Groenenberg, M. & Gray, T.N.E. 2025. Bos javanicus (amended version of 2024 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T2888A270543638. – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2888/270543638

 

Journal of Applied Ecology v. 51: 1469–1478. Steinmetz, R., Srirattanaporn, S., Mor‐Tip, J. and Seuaturien, N. 2014. “Can community outreach alleviate poaching pressure and recover wildlife in South‐East Asian protected areas?” https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12239 

 

Oryx v. 46, no. 4 (2012): 563–66. Gray, Thomas N. E., Sovanna Prum, Chanrattana Pin, and Channa Phan. “Distance Sampling Reveals Cambodia’s Eastern Plains Landscape Supports the Largest Global Population of the Endangered Banteng Bos Javanicus.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605312000567.

 

Oryx v. 55, no. 1 (2021): 122–30. Lim, Hong Ye, Penny C. Gardner, Nicola K. Abram, Kalsum M. Yusah, and Benoit Goossens. “Identifying Habitat and Understanding Movement Resistance for the Endangered Bornean Banteng Bos Javanicus Lowi in Sabah, Malaysia.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318001126 

 

Therya Vol. 11 No. 1 (2020). Rahman, Dede Aulia. “Ecological niche and potential distribution of the endangered Bos javanicus in south-western Java, Indonesia” –

https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-20-840 

 

Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banteng

 

For more information about current Banteng conservation see Action Indonesia at  https://www.actionindonesiagsmp.org or the Wildlife Alliance at https://www.wildlifealliance.org/banteng-southeast-asias-endangered-wild-cattle/ 

Music 32:34

Pledge 42:18

I honor the lifeforce of the Banteng. I will commit its name to my record. I am grateful to have shared time on our planet with this being. I lament the ways in which I and my species have harmed and diminished this species. I grieve.

 

And so, in the name of the Banteng I pledge to reduce my consumption. And my carbon footprint. And curb my wastefulness. I pledge to acknowledge and attempt to address the costs of my actions and inactions. And I pledge to resist the harm of plant and animal kin and their habitat, by individuals, corporations, and governments.

 

I pledge my song to the witness and memory of all life, to a broad celebration of biodiversity, and to the total liberation of all beings.