Ungulates of Hawaiʻi

Feral Cattle (Bos taurus)

Current Range: Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island

Region of origin: Europe

Date of first introduction: 1793 (Hawaiʻi island), 1806 (Maui)

Average size: Female - 250 to 350 kg, Male - 350 to 450 kg (49 to 81% smaller than domestic stock)*

Litter frequency: 1 per year

Litter size: 1 to 2 (twinning rare)

Home range: 46.6 ± 2.6 km (4 to 15 times larger than domestic cattle)*

Diet: Opportunistic grazer

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References: Bertaeux and Micol 1992, Hernandez et al. 1999, Rozzi and Lomolino 2017

Identifying Markers

Physical Appearance: Short, coarse hair, varying in color (black, brown, white, spotted, or mixed), often dirty or patchy from wallowing and brushing against trees, very large (800–1,200+ lbs), some have horns, others are polled (hornless) depending on lineage.

Tracks: Large, round cloven hoof prints, about 4–5 inches in diameter, often deep and obvious in soft ground, found along forest trails, pastures, water sources, and wallows.

Scat: Large, flat patties of dung, about 8–12 inches in diameter, common near resting sites, trails, and feeding areas.

Feeding Signs: Grazers, preffering grasses and some shrubs, stripping leaves or twigs up to 3 feet high, and clipping grasses evenly to ground level.

Environmental Impacts

Feral cattle in Hawaiʻi cause significant environmental damage by roaming unmanaged through forests, wetlands, and upland areas. Their heavy weight compacts soil, reducing water absorption and plant growth, while their movement through riparian zones tramples streambanks and increases nutrient runoff, harming streams and coastal reefs through sedimentation and algal blooms. Unlike domesticated cattle in controlled pastures, feral cattle graze continuously, suppressing native plant regeneration and favoring invasive grasses that increase wildfire risk.