After having missed several gaur (wild bison) sightings on hikes when the animals heard us and ran off into the forest, I was thrilled to arrive at the house of friends recently to be greeted with, "Quick, upstairs, there are two wild bison behind the house!" Indeed this massive fellow and a younger bison were within feet of the house, "stolidly indifferent" (an apt description I have read about them). We remained in the house initially and gradually ventured outside for a closer look. There is a story circulating here of a man who was gored to death after taking a flash photo of a gaur. I have also met a local woman who collects firewood in the forest and had been attacked. So we kept a safe distance. We watched them for quite some time and then went off for tea. In the meantime the bison moved on. Later my friend and I set off for home on foot and on rounding a corner came face to face with one of the bison. We made a hasty retreat up an embankment, not really a rational decision since bison are as quick and agile as mountain goats. A few minutes later the bison ambled past us on the road and as he passed me, he stopped, turned his huge head, looked right at me, and then continued on. I was more awe-struck than frightened.
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