Banteng
Bos javanicus
🐂
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Pecora
Bovidae
Bos
Bos javanicus
The Banteng is a wild Southeast Asian bovine known for its elegant build and sexual dimorphism — males are glossy dark brown to black, while females are reddish-brown. Once widespread across Java, Borneo, and Indochina, this species has declined drastically due to hunting and habitat loss.
Description
Banteng (Bos javanicus) — The Banteng is a wild cattle species inhabiting forests and open grasslands throughout Southeast Asia. It is the ancestor of some domesticated Southeast Asian cattle breeds. Adult males are muscular with a glossy dark coat, while females and juveniles are lighter, often reddish-brown. Both sexes have white lower legs (“stockings”) and a white rump patch. Banteng live in small herds, feeding primarily on grasses, bamboo, and leaves.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
900
1.65
2.5
2.8
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Banteng have been hunted by humans since prehistoric times for their meat, hides, and horns. Early hunter-gatherer societies in Java and Indochina used stone-tipped spears and pitfall traps to capture them. Their predictable grazing patterns near water sources made them prime targets for ambush hunting.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Niah Cave, Borneo – Banteng bones with cut marks found in Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits (~35,000 BP).
Trinil Site, Java – Fossil remains of Bos javanicus associated with early Homo erectus stone tools (~500,000 BP).
Lang Rongrien Cave, Thailand – Banteng remains in association with Paleolithic human artifacts (~13,000 BP).
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Pleistocene
Asia
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
6
Est. Renderable Fat
54
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow, mesenteric fat
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat, mesenteric, perirenal; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat & marrow
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4