Ponwar

Ponwar cattle are a small Indian zebu-type breed from the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, especially the Pilibhit area near the Nepal border. They are usually compact, alert cattle with a medium hump, fine limbs, and black, brown, or white patched coats rather than a uniform color. The breed developed as a working animal for small farms, where agility and endurance mattered more than body size or dairy volume.

Ponwar herds are generally managed in low-input village systems, grazing common land and using crop residues when pasture is limited. Bullocks are used for light plowing, cart work, and moving through wet or uneven fields; cows give modest milk mainly for household use and calf rearing. The cattle can be lively, so quiet handling and secure night housing are important. Because the population is not large and crossbreeding is common in many Indian cattle areas, conservation-minded keepers try to retain local cow families, use identifiable Ponwar bulls, and document breeding where possible.

Colors: Belted, Black, Black and White, Blaze Faced, Blue Roan, Brindle, Brockle Faced, Brown, Brown and White, Dun, Gray, Grey, Highbelt, Highpark, Lineback, Mottled, Pied, Red, Red and White, Red Roan, Riggit, Roan, Silver, Solid Black, Solid Red, Solid White, Speckled, Spotted, White, White Faced, Yellow