Aurochs (wild cows) to be bred back from extinction

[Ludovicus]

Aurochs were immortalised in prehistoric cave paintings and admired for their brute strength and "elephantine" size by Julius Caesar.

 

The huge cattle with sweeping horns which once roamed the forests of Europe have not been seen for nearly 400 years.

Now Italian scientists are hoping to use genetic expertise and selective breeding of modern-day wild cattle to recreate the fearsome beasts which weighed around 2,200lb and stood 6.5 feet at the shoulder.

 

For more:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/...extinction.html

[Melvadius]

Aurochs were immortalised in prehistoric cave paintings and admired for their brute strength and "elephantine" size by Julius Caesar.

 

The huge cattle with sweeping horns which once roamed the forests of Europe have not been seen for nearly 400 years.

Now Italian scientists are hoping to use genetic expertise and selective breeding of modern-day wild cattle to recreate the fearsome beasts which weighed around 2,200lb and stood 6.5 feet at the shoulder.

 

For more:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/...extinction.html

 

I'm not sure that I fancy the idea of 'aurochs' with the temprament of the Chillingham Herd being brought back into existence. The report hardly touches the surface of how dangerous that could be when it talks of possibly needing to dart them to carry out any vetinary work.

 

There was a (possibly apocrophil) story from several years ago about two rustlers who apparently tried to steal calves from the Chillingham herd to sell their meat. The estate wardens found the rustlers abandoned van outside the walls of the estate and eventually came across the remains of one of the rustlers...but not the other one. These are not animals to mess with and they are counted as quite small as cattle breed go today. Expanding such independent/ mean animals up to the size of an aurochs (standing around 2 metres/ 6' 6" at the shoulder) could in some eyes only be asking for trouble but that is zoologists for you never happy when something has become extinct.

[Nephele]

I'm not sure that I fancy the idea of 'aurochs' with the temprament of the Chillingham Herd being brought back into existence. The report hardly touches the surface of how dangerous that could be when it talks of possibly needing to dart them to carry out any vetinary work.

 

Re-creating such dangerous cows sounds like udder madness.

 

-- Nephele

[Ursus]

I bet those things would taste great on the grill with a side order of fries.

[Melvadius]

Re-creating such dangerous cows sounds like udder madness.

 

-- Nephele

 

If the story had broken around 1 April I would have been tempted to wonder if it was a joke and they were trying to pull the 'udder' one....

 

As to how they would taste with a side order of fries unless you were careful I suspect it would be more of a case of them having any prospective dinners without the side order

[Nephele]

Re-creating such dangerous cows sounds like udder madness.

 

-- Nephele

 

If the story had broken around 1 April I would have been tempted to wonder if it was a joke and they were trying to pull the 'udder' one....

 

As to how they would taste with a side order of fries unless you were careful I suspect it would be more of a case of them having any prospective dinners without the side order

 

I wouldn't take a chance on attempting to butcher one of those monster cows. The steaks are too high.

 

-- Nephele

[Crispina]

Re-creating such dangerous cows sounds like udder madness.

 

-- Nephele

 

If the story had broken around 1 April I would have been tempted to wonder if it was a joke and they were trying to pull the 'udder' one....

 

As to how they would taste with a side order of fries unless you were careful I suspect it would be more of a case of them having any prospective dinners without the side order

 

I wouldn't take a chance on attempting to butcher one of those monster cows. The steaks are too high.

 

-- Nephele

 

 

 

I can't believe you said that.

[caldrail]

That's odd. I thought there was an animal park somewhere in Britain that had already done this decades ago. Or at least bred cows with similar characteristics.

[Melvadius]

That's odd. I thought there was an animal park somewhere in Britain that had already done this decades ago. Or at least bred cows with similar characteristics.

 

I'm not sure if another attempt was made to recreate them but as the Times reported last April a small herd of 'Heck Aurochs' recreated in the 1920's in Germany has been imported to Britain within the last few years. Superficially the main diference is that they only stand about 1.6 metres tall at the shoulder rather than the 2metres of a full size auroch.

 

Through the misty early morning sunlight dappling a Devon field a vision from the primeval past lumbers into view. The beast with its shaggy, russet-tinged coat, powerful shoulders and lyre-shaped horns could have stepped straight from a prehistoric cave painting.

 

The vision is a creature of which even Julius Caesar was in awe: Bos primigenius, the aurochs, fearsome wild ancestor of all today

Edited January 22, 2010 by Melvadius

[Ursus]

In more cow related news: depressed dairy farmer kills his herd, self.