TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
The breed of cattle is important, in the Netherlands the industrial farmers have overbred cows, milk factories in fact, with huge udders, they can hardly move, and the horns are removed. And they simply die in the winter when they stay outside. No real match for wolves.
However, in the Veluwe, our largest forest, you find the Sayagusa Cattle, free roaming cows from Spain. This is one of the original, ancient cattle breeds that DNA-wise stands the closest to the aurochs. Wolves are fun for them... finally some action.
In their homeland they have to defend themselves against Wolves and in the past against Brown Bears (even today it's possible). With all these Aurochs genes it's no surprise they were the early adapters of wolf defense in Holland.
Ok, maybe these cows are a bit extreme, they are not suitable for modern farming. But probably the cows in Lithuania are something in-between.
Picture: Arjen Boerman
However, in the Veluwe, our largest forest, you find the Sayagusa Cattle, free roaming cows from Spain. This is one of the original, ancient cattle breeds that DNA-wise stands the closest to the aurochs. Wolves are fun for them... finally some action.
In their homeland they have to defend themselves against Wolves and in the past against Brown Bears (even today it's possible). With all these Aurochs genes it's no surprise they were the early adapters of wolf defense in Holland.
Ok, maybe these cows are a bit extreme, they are not suitable for modern farming. But probably the cows in Lithuania are something in-between.
Picture: Arjen Boerman
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