In parts of South India, herds of bison are coming out of forests to forage in farms
Gaurs are increasingly being found outside protected areas. Gaurs in a tea estate in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. | Abhishek N Chinnappa for Mongabay
It is not uncommon in India to see cattle grazing in farms and backyards, ruminating by the road, or even causing a minor inconvenience to vehicles. Replace cattle with herds of gaur (Indian bison) and you are likely to be in Coonoor, one of the taluks in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
In Coonoor and the neighbouring taluk of Kotagiri, gaurs come out of forests in herds and in many cases, graze, mate and sleep in the vast tea plantations. They are soon becoming a tourist attraction in these hill stations otherwise known for the scenic landscape of emerald tea plantations interspersed with forest patches.