Mithun reared as meat animal in Arunachal Pradesh and other northeastern states

GUWAHATI: Bovine Mithun, which is found in the northeastern states of Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, is attracting attention after Arunachal governor JP Rajkhowa in his report to the President indicted that "cow was slaughtered outside Raj Bhavan" last month.

An official in Nagaland-based ICAR’s National Research Centre said Mithuns were reared in a unique way by the tribes of Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Mithuns are not fully domesticated, they are left in the wild and allowed to forage by themselves.

"Whenever owners require them for meat, they lure them with salts. Tribal hierarchies and social status are integrally linked to the number of Mithun herds they possess."