# Banteng — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Bos javanicus (Hardwicke, 1825) — family Bovidae*

> The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland.

**IUCN status:** Endangered — first endangered species cloned in 2003; wild herds shrink as forest converts  ·  **WARN range:** Borneo, Java, Mainland Southeast Asia — range heavily reduced

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Shoulder height | About 1.5 m in large bulls |
| Clone | First Endangered species cloned — 2003 |
| Sexual dimorphism | Dark bulls; redder cows |
| Habitat | Forest edge, glades, salt licks |
| IUCN status | Endangered |
| Main threats | Hunting; oil palm, pulpwood, mining |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Artiodactyla
- **Family:** Bovidae
- **Genus:** Bos
- **Species:** Bos javanicus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Endangered
- **Population:** Declining; thousands in wild across reduced range
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2020
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- Cloning demonstrated technical feasibility in 2003 but did not reverse wild decline driven by forest conversion and hunting.

## Key facts: Banteng
- The banteng is a wild cattle of Southeast Asian forest, not a domestic ox — though Bali cattle may descend from banteng domestication.
- In 2003 scientists produced the first successful clone of an Endangered species using banteng embryos — a technical milestone, not a wild recovery.
- Wild herds are Endangered, declining through hunting and habitat loss as oil palm, pulpwood and mining convert forest across Borneo and Java.
- Bulls are dark with white 'stockings'; cows are redder — sexual dimorphism typical of wild bovids.
- Domestic Bali cattle on Bali may represent ancient banteng domestication, complicating pure wild genetics on Java.
- Compare WARN's Pyrenean ibex guide for a cloning attempt on an extinct subspecies — success measured in minutes, not populations.

## Wild cattle of the forest edge
Banteng occupy a niche between closed forest and open grassland — grazing and browsing in glades, visiting salt licks, retreating to tree cover when disturbed. Herds are typically small, led by a dominant cow with a attendant bull. They are not savannah animals in the African sense; they need forest structure and water, which is why plantation monocultures exclude them entirely.

Three subspecies are recognised: the mainland form, the Bornean banteng and the Java banteng. Each has lost range independently as national boundaries did not protect forest. Java retains domestic Bali cattle possibly derived from banteng; wild Java banteng are critically scarce.

## The 2003 clone
Researchers cloned a banteng using somatic-cell nuclear transfer — the same broad method used for Dolly the sheep — implanting embryos into domestic cattle surrogates. A calf was born in 2003, demonstrating that endangered mammal cloning was feasible.

The clone did not rebuild wild populations. Cloning produces individuals one at a time, expensive and legally complex, without addressing hunting, habitat or genetic diversity in situ. WARN's guide to the Pyrenean ibex at /wildlife-guides/extinct-animals/pyrenean-ibex/ describes the parallel case: a clone born in 2003 to a species already extinct in the wild, surviving only minutes. Banteng cloning worked longer; neither approach substitutes for forest remaining and trade controlled.

## Oil palm, pulpwood and mining across Sundaland
Borneo and Sumatra have converted millions of hectares to oil palm and pulpwood plantations. Mining for coal, bauxite and other minerals cuts haul roads through remaining forest. Banteng lose glades, salt-lick access and movement corridors simultaneously.

Hunting supplies bushmeat markets and trophies; snares kill indiscriminately. Plantation workers and infrastructure expand access. An Endangered listing describes trend, not safety — herds persist in some protected areas while disappearing from provinces converted wholesale to plantation.

## Ungulates and the hoofed-animal frame
Banteng belong among Southeast Asia's wild ungulates — alongside sambar, muntjac and the chevrotain mouse-deer covered in a separate WARN guide. They share artiodactyl biology: cloven hooves, ruminant digestion, herd structure shaped by predators now largely absent from their range.

Hoofed-animal conservation in Sundaland is plantation conservation in practice. A banteng herd needs forest edge, water and freedom from snares — none of which oil palm estates provide. Cloning headlines fade; land use persists.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes free, sourced species education, including where biotechnology headlines outran field conservation. Banteng cloning in 2003 was real science; wild banteng still need forest not converted for oil palm, pulpwood and mining.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Banteng
### Was the banteng the first endangered species cloned?
Yes — a banteng calf born in 2003 was the first successful clone of an Endangered species. It did not restore wild populations. WARN's Pyrenean ibex guide covers a 2003 clone of an extinct subspecies that survived only minutes.

### What is a banteng?
A wild cattle of Southeast Asian forest, related to domestic cattle and possibly ancestral to Bali cattle. Bulls are dark with white stockings; the species is Endangered.

### Where do banteng live?
Remnant populations on Borneo, Java and scattered mainland sites — range greatly reduced. They use forest glades and edges rather than open plains.

### Why are banteng endangered?
Hunting, snares and forest conversion for oil palm, pulpwood and mining across Sundaland. Protected areas hold some herds; plantation landscapes hold none.

### Are banteng the same as Bali cattle?
Bali cattle may descend from banteng domesticated on Java. Wild banteng and domestic Bali cattle are related but not identical; wild genetics are increasingly scarce.

### What do banteng / tembadaus eat?
The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland. The guide's ecology sections give the prey or forage detail behind that summary.

### Are banteng / tembadaus dangerous?
Banteng / Tembadaus are not generally dangerous to people. The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

### How long do banteng / tembadaus live?
A precise wild lifespan for banteng / tembadaus is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

### How big is a banteng / tembadau?
A Banteng / Tembadau is about About 1.5 m in large bulls. The banteng (Bos javanicus) is an Endangered wild cattle of Southeast Asia; the first Endangered species cloned successfully in 2003, it continues to decline as oil palm, pulpwood, mining and hunting remove forest across Sundaland. Conservation status: Endangered.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Bos javanicus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2888/46362960)
- [Advanced Cell Technology — banteng cloning (2003)](https://www.nature.com/articles/42112)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/banteng