Study of Taro White Cattle as an Icon of Gianyar Regency

The preservation of white cows associated with the traditional or religious needs of the Hindu community in Bali needs attention and policy considerations to realize the island of Bali as the location of pure Bali cattle breeds. The existence of Taro White Cattle  in this village is a special attraction, because it is different from the color of bali cows in general, namely brick red in female cows, while male cows after adulthood the color turns black.

Taro Village is located in Tegalalang District, Gianyar Regency with a distance of ± 22.25 kilometers from the city of Gianyar. The village of Taro was previously a forest area of ​​1562.20 hectares with an altitude between 600 to 700 meters above sea level, a tropical climate with an average rainfall of 221.3 ml per month with the largest rainfall in November to March (Susari, 2013).

North  Taro Village  which is a place where the Taro White Cattle is isolated, stretches from North to South with an area of ​​225,127.45 ha, flanked by the river Wos Istri in the west and Wos Lanang river in the east. When viewed geographically, the height of Pekraman Taro Kaja Village is 809'4 "to 8029'38" South Latitude and 115015'18.8 "to 115019 '40.8" East Longitude. Aryani et al. (2013) reported that according to population information in the village, the position or location of Taro Village was located in the middle of the island of Bali.

Today the area has changed, neatly arranged where forest conservation is carried out and managed by Taro Village with an area of ​​27 hectares including Taro White Cattle that are still housed in two cage positions. This arrangement turns out to be related to the planning of the area to be a tourist attraction. Placement of the statue of Lord Shiva who rides a cow or white bull as a symbol of local people's belief in the safety of Taro White Cattle is considered a cultural phenomenon that needs to be considered for environmental preservation.

The Taro villagers consider the Taro White Cattle in the village to be a sacred cow, so that it is highly respected and does not dare to disturb it. When the Taro White Cattle were still living wild in the Taro forest, they often came to the villages or fields of the local community. The community did not dare to obstruct or disturb him if the Taro White Cattle entered the field to eat grass or existing plants. Now the Taro White Cattle have all been localized in one place in the North Taro  Village , so that they no longer interfere with crops in the community's fields. When Taro White Cattle is born from a cow that is privately owned by the local community, they do not dare to keep it, and hand it over to the village to be collected with other Taro White Cattle. Now, as mentioned above, raising Taro White Cattle in Taro Village is managed intensively (imprisoned) by a Foundation called "White Taro Cattle Foundation".