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Are Aurochs Almost Back From Extinction?

blessmycottonsocks

blessmycottonsocks

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The last genuine aurochs (Bos primigenius), considered to be the larger and far more muscular wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle, died in eastern Europe in the 17th century.

The Tauros Programme, founded in The Netherlands in 2008, has successfully back-bred several large and robust cattle breeds, including Heck, Highland, Sayaguesa, Pajuna, Italian Podolica and Maremmana primitivo to create cattle bearing a very close resemblance to the original aurochs.

They now have the funding to re-wild parts of Europe with these neo-aurochs.

It's quite an exciting thought that these mighty creatures, once roaming throughout Europe and which our ancient ancestors painted on cave walls and our more recent ancestors hunted to extinction, may soon become a common sight once more.

aurochs.png


aurochs2.png



https://english.elpais.com/spain/20...project-to-rewild-deserted-area-of-spain.html

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/are-aurochs-extinct/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauros_Programme
 
Have they kept the temperament of the geniuine aurochs (which, I seem to remember, was absolutely crazed) or have the modern genes tempered that somewhat? I used to work with Jersey cattle, and Jersey bulls were among the most dangerous animals known, the thought of creatures four times the size with similar temperaments fills me with dread.
 
I reckon thats a cow and not a bull.

(Her calf is behind her so you cannot see it and stay away).

Horns go UP

Bulls horns go OUT.

(Like the Chillingham Wild Cattle).

Do they line up with the young uns behind them at the sign of any threat like my friends White parks do??
 
Kondoru said:
I reckon thats a cow and not a bull.

(Her calf is behind her so you cannot see it and stay away).

Horns go UP

Bulls horns go OUT.

(Like the Chillingham Wild Cattle).

Do they line up with the young uns behind them at the sign of any threat like my friends White parks do??
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Yes, I was astonished when I first got into dairying how many people thought that only bulls had horns. I think they were thinking of deer.
 
maximus otter said:
Hitler wanted to bring back the aurochs, so I pronounce that attempts to perpetuate the work of Adolf and his chums are ***ist and ***phobic, and aughta be banned.

:evillaugh:

maximus otter
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I believe the Heck cattle, which were an earlier approximation of the Aurochs, were contemporaneous with the rise of Nazism and some of their genes have found their way into these beasties.
Hopefully the presence of many other breeds of hardy cattle will dilute the totalitarian genes and dissuade these neo-Aurochs from invading Poland!
 
Kondoru said:
That's actually a desirable trait. Poland is where they come from.

(Max, you are just sad because you cant shoot it).
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To be honest, looking at it I suspect bullets would just bounce off.
 
Video of some of these cattle well on their way to becoming neo-Aurochs (the Tauros programme prefers the term Aurochs 2.0) being released in the Albarracín Mountains, Spain in 2021.

Note the pale tip of the muzzle and white stripe down the back of the huge lead bull - very indicative of the Aurochs.

aurochs.png


 
No, I want the Great Auk. Plenty of genetic samples and habitat for them to live in.

And who can resist the idea of a Northern penguin? (of course they are the original penguins...)

Anyhow, we see the bull has horns that go OUT.

Cows have smaller horns, bulls have bigger horns.

But steers have the really big ones. (Im sure you can tell why)

I have seen the record English Longhorn horns...210cm. Came from an ox.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Now we've virtually resurrected the Aurochs, fingers crossed for the Passenger Pigeon, Dodo, Mammoth, Sabre-Toothed cats, Thylacine etc.
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Scientists pledge to 'de-extinct' the dodo bird​


Scientists have attempted to bring the dodo back to life after it went extinct 361 years ago.

Researchers at Colossal Biosciences, a US gene-editing firm, have pledged to “de-extinct” the flightless bird in a new $150 million project.

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:

Scientists pledge to 'de-extinct' the dodo bird​


Scientists have attempted to bring the dodo back to life after it went extinct 361 years ago.

Researchers at Colossal Biosciences, a US gene-editing firm, have pledged to “de-extinct” the flightless bird in a new $150 million project.

maximus otter
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Now that IS a challenge.
Unlike Aurochs 2.0, the Dodo couldn't be brought back through back-breeding alone.
The Dodo's eggs were huge, so would they have to use a very large ratite like an ostrich, rhea or emu as a surrogate?
 
Wouldnt we start with the genetic plan?

(And what plans do we have??)

I dont think we have the Dodo blueprint...yet.

(Im not sure about Great auks).
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Bringing Aurochs 2.0 to the UK?

https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk...ij7SRwUaT9uevjjA4HQ4RkAz7Uj59ZPhoCYIQQAvD_BwE
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We don't have the space. Highlands are already used for the purpose that they propose the Aurochs for, and native ponies are also used to keep grassland short in protected spaces. Given that an aurochs would be immensely tall and heavy and need a lot of grassland to live in a herd (not to say being nastily short tempered) it would be difficult to have enough land that the public couldn't access.

I bet those bugger can't half run.
 
catseye said:
We don't have the space. Highlands are already used for the purpose that they propose the Aurochs for, and native ponies are also used to keep grassland short in protected spaces. Given that an aurochs would be immensely tall and heavy and need a lot of grassland to live in a herd (not to say being nastily short tempered) it would be difficult to have enough land that the public couldn't access.

I bet those bugger can't half run.
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You're right. The article is only an early speculative one, but it does conclude that, to include the Aurochs 2.0 in a rewilding programme in the UK will require a lot of work!
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Trailer for the "Return of the Aurochs" documentary.
I'll have a dig around on arte to see if I can find the whole film.

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This is not allowing me to view. I had a similar problem with a yt link I had posted a while ago.

It doesn't like too many views. Probably cuz they don't want to pay their "creators" more than they think they should.
 
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