Siri
(most common name)
(transboundary/brand name)

(local/other name):
• Trahbum (= female, Dzongkha)
(suggested local/other name):
• Nublang (= male, Dzongkha)
• Nublang-Trahbum

The Siri, a cervicothoracic-humped zebu, is thought to have originated with crosses of zebu and humpless Tibetan cattle.

The original home of the Siri is the kingdom of Bhutan (where the males are called Nublang and the females are called Trahbum). From there, they spread to the Indian state of Sikkim (between Bhutan and Nepal, bordering Tibet) and the Darjeeling region of West Bengal (near the Sikkim border), and also into Nepal.

In Nepal, the Siri was popular in the east, particularly in the Ilam District (in the hill region known as the Mahabharata range). They were known as ‘Kachcha Siri’ because crossbreeding with the local hill cattle made them smaller. However, continued crossbreeding has also now made the Siri extinct in Nepal.

The Siri is a resilient, hard-working breed used mostly for draught. They adapt quite well to the shifting agroclimatic conditions of this region of the Himalayas.

(Hindi) kachcha = inferior, imitation

This page was last updated on: 2024-04-08

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