The Taurus Project of the German Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz aims to re-create the extinct aurochs, the wild ancestor of domestic cattle, by cross-breedingHeck cattle (themselves bred in the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to replicate the aurochs) with aurochs-like cattle, mostly from Southern Europe. Herds of these cross-bred Taurus cattle have been established in Germany, Denmark, Hungary and Latvia, and are used in conservation of natural landscapes and biodiversity.[1][2]
The Taurus bull "Lamarck" (50% Sayaguesa, 25% Heck, 25% Chianina) in the Lippeaue reserve in North Rhine-Westphalia.Chianina is one of the breeds that are used in breeding Taurus cattleTaurus bull
In 1996 the conservation group Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz in Germany started to crossbreed Heck cattle with primitive cattle from Southern Europe such as Chianina, Sayaguesa Cattle and the Spanish fighting bull in the Lippeaue reserve near the town of Soest. The purpose was and is an increased resemblance to the extinct aurochs, because they considered Heck cattle not satisfying. For example, they write in one of their publications: "The 'recreations' by the Heck brothers are too small, too short-legged, not elegant and their horns are not satisfying".[3] Therefore, the goal is to breed cattle that are considerably larger, more long-legged and long-snouted and have horns curving forwards, in addition to possessing the wild type colour scheme that was already present in the population.[4][5] In 2003 breeding herds were started in Hungary and Denmark, and in 2004 one was begun in Latvia.[2]
Germanyedit
In Germany, Taurus cattle herds are crossed with Chianina and Sayaguesa, two very tall breeds, and initially also the Spanish fighting bull (Toro de Lidia). The crossbred animals in the Lippeaue reserve, the most important breeding location, are composed of 47% Sayaguesa, 29% Heck cattle, 20% Chianina and 4% Lidia on average.[6]
Taurus cattle are listed in the herdbook X of the German Heck cattle association VFA. There is an increasing interest of Heck cattle breeders in using Taurus cattle because of their larger resemblance to the aurochs, so that there is a continuum between Taurus cattle and un-crossed Heck cattle.[4]
Hungaryedit
Hortobágy National Park in Hungary has the largest herd of Taurus cattle so far, counting 500–600 individuals of which around 200 are mature cows.[7] In addition to crossbred cattle that were imported from Germany, Ankole-Watusi, Hungarian Grey cattle crosses and one half-Holstein Friesian cow are used.[8] There are two sub-herds, a main herd at Pentezug and another one at Karácsonyfok.[9] Studies in the national park showed that cattle are less adapted to dry, cold grassland than Przewalski horses, and until a few years ago the cattle were supplementary fed.[9][10] The winter of 2011 was the first winter in which additional food was not necessary.[11]
Denmarkedit
The Taurus bull "Leonardo" (Chianina × Heck) from Lille Vildmose, 2004Skull of a Taurus bull
Taurus breeding was initiated in Lille Vildmose Nature Reserve under the name Projekt Urokse ("Project Aurochs").[12] The founding herd consisted of one Chianina × Heck bull, four Heck cows and one Sayaguesa × Heck cow, and in 2009 three Sayaguesa bulls were added; by 2010 the herd had grown to 56 individuals.[13]
Latviaedit
In Latvia, Taurus cattle are being bred by WWF Latvia.[2] In February 2004, besides two German animals 21 head of Dutch Heck cattle were brought to Pape Nature Reserve,[14] in October another 18 head of Dutch Heck cattle followed.[15]
External features of Taurus cattleedit
Most Taurus cattle are long-legged and comparatively slender. An increase in size was achieved, as large Taurus bulls measure 165 cm at the withers while normal Heck bulls measure only 140 cm. Particularly, the Sayaguesa-influenced animals are long-snouted.[4]
Galleryedit
Lippeaue (Germany)
"Londo" (centre): 50% Sayaguesa, 25% Heck, 25% Chianina; son of Lamarck
^Marcel Keiffenheim (text), Lin Lambert (pictures): "Das Ur-Viech." () Greenpeace Magazin (Germany) 5.03. (in German)
^ abcMargret Bunzel-Drüke: "Projekt Taurus – En økologisk erstatning for uroksen." () Translated into Danish by Karsten Thomsen. Lohne: ABU 2004; Århus: Nepenthes, 2005. (in Danish)
^ABU info 06/07: Bunzel-Drüke, Scharf & Vierhaus: "Lydias Ende – eine Tragikomödie." ABU info 30/31 (2006/07), pp. 58–67. (in German)
^ abcBunzel-Drüke, Finck, Kämmer, Luick, Reisinger, Riecken, Riedl, Scharf & Zimball: Wilde Weiden: Praxisleitfaden für Ganzjahresbeweidung in Naturschutz und Landschaftsentwicklung. ABU 2008. ISBN978-3-0002-4385-1
^Cis van Vuure: History, Morphology and Ecology of the Aurochs (Bos primigenius). 2002.
^ abWaltraut Zimmermann, Lydia Kolter, Istvan Sandor: ″Naturschutzprojekt Hortobagy – Jahresbericht 2003.″ 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine Zeitschrift des Kölner Zoo 2004. (in German)
^Julia Poettinger: Vergleichende Studie zur Haltung und zum Verhalten des Wisents und des Heckrinds. 2011. (in German)
^Waltraut Zimmermann, Lydia Kolter, Istvan Sandor: ″Naturschutzprojekt Hortobagy – Jahresbericht 2011.″ Zeitschrift des Kölner Zoo 2012. (in German)
^ pdf. The Amt of Northern Jutland. 2005. Retrieved 26 November 2013. (in Danish)
^Uffe Gjøl Sørensen: Vildokserne ved Lille Vildmose 2003–2010. Status rapport med anbefalinger til projektets forvaltning. () København: UG Sørensen Consult, 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2013. (in Danish)
^Tauru pēcteči atgriezušies Papes pļavās! www.tvnet.lv, 4 March 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2014. (in Latvian)
^Ierodas 24 jauni dzīvnieki - savvaļas zirgi un tauri. www.tvnet.lv, 14 October 2004. Retrieved 24 May 2014. (in Latvian)
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taurus cattle.
Margret Bunzel-Drüke, Edgar Reisinger: Taurus cattle. A stand-in for the aurochs. () 2010. Pdf of ppt. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
February 15, 2024
taurus, project, similarly, named, project, netherlands, tauros, programme, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, topic, this, article, meet, wikipedia, notab. For a similarly named project in the Netherlands see Tauros Programme This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia s notability guidelines for companies and organizations Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention If notability cannot be shown the article is likely to be merged redirected or deleted Find sources Taurus Project news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable independent third party sources May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message The Taurus Project of the German Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz aims to re create the extinct aurochs the wild ancestor of domestic cattle by cross breeding Heck cattle themselves bred in the 1920s and 1930s in an attempt to replicate the aurochs with aurochs like cattle mostly from Southern Europe Herds of these cross bred Taurus cattle have been established in Germany Denmark Hungary and Latvia and are used in conservation of natural landscapes and biodiversity 1 2 The Taurus bull Lamarck 50 Sayaguesa 25 Heck 25 Chianina in the Lippeaue reserve in North Rhine Westphalia Chianina is one of the breeds that are used in breeding Taurus cattleTaurus bull Contents 1 History 1 1 Germany 1 2 Hungary 1 3 Denmark 1 4 Latvia 2 External features of Taurus cattle 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editIn 1996 the conservation group Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz in Germany started to crossbreed Heck cattle with primitive cattle from Southern Europe such as Chianina Sayaguesa Cattle and the Spanish fighting bull in the Lippeaue reserve near the town of Soest The purpose was and is an increased resemblance to the extinct aurochs because they considered Heck cattle not satisfying For example they write in one of their publications The recreations by the Heck brothers are too small too short legged not elegant and their horns are not satisfying 3 Therefore the goal is to breed cattle that are considerably larger more long legged and long snouted and have horns curving forwards in addition to possessing the wild type colour scheme that was already present in the population 4 5 In 2003 breeding herds were started in Hungary and Denmark and in 2004 one was begun in Latvia 2 Germany edit In Germany Taurus cattle herds are crossed with Chianina and Sayaguesa two very tall breeds and initially also the Spanish fighting bull Toro de Lidia The crossbred animals in the Lippeaue reserve the most important breeding location are composed of 47 Sayaguesa 29 Heck cattle 20 Chianina and 4 Lidia on average 6 Taurus cattle are listed in the herdbook X of the German Heck cattle association VFA There is an increasing interest of Heck cattle breeders in using Taurus cattle because of their larger resemblance to the aurochs so that there is a continuum between Taurus cattle and un crossed Heck cattle 4 Hungary edit Hortobagy National Park in Hungary has the largest herd of Taurus cattle so far counting 500 600 individuals of which around 200 are mature cows 7 In addition to crossbred cattle that were imported from Germany Ankole Watusi Hungarian Grey cattle crosses and one half Holstein Friesian cow are used 8 There are two sub herds a main herd at Pentezug and another one at Karacsonyfok 9 Studies in the national park showed that cattle are less adapted to dry cold grassland than Przewalski horses and until a few years ago the cattle were supplementary fed 9 10 The winter of 2011 was the first winter in which additional food was not necessary 11 Denmark edit nbsp The Taurus bull Leonardo Chianina Heck from Lille Vildmose 2004 nbsp Skull of a Taurus bullTaurus breeding was initiated in Lille Vildmose Nature Reserve under the name Projekt Urokse Project Aurochs 12 The founding herd consisted of one Chianina Heck bull four Heck cows and one Sayaguesa Heck cow and in 2009 three Sayaguesa bulls were added by 2010 the herd had grown to 56 individuals 13 Latvia edit In Latvia Taurus cattle are being bred by WWF Latvia 2 In February 2004 besides two German animals 21 head of Dutch Heck cattle were brought to Pape Nature Reserve 14 in October another 18 head of Dutch Heck cattle followed 15 External features of Taurus cattle editMost Taurus cattle are long legged and comparatively slender An increase in size was achieved as large Taurus bulls measure 165 cm at the withers while normal Heck bulls measure only 140 cm Particularly the Sayaguesa influenced animals are long snouted 4 Gallery editLippeaue Germany nbsp Londo centre 50 Sayaguesa 25 Heck 25 Chianina son of Lamarck nbsp Larissa Chianina Sayaguesa Heck Chianina nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Latino 50 Sayaguesa 25 Fighting cattle 25 Heck nbsp Larwin centre 50 Sayaguesa 37 5 Heck 12 5 Chianina cow at right Heck Sayaguesa nbsp See also editTauros Programme Uruz ProjectReferences edit Marcel Keiffenheim text Lin Lambert pictures Das Ur Viech Archived version Greenpeace Magazin Germany 5 03 in German a b c Margret Bunzel Druke Projekt Taurus En okologisk erstatning for uroksen Archived version Translated into Danish by Karsten Thomsen Lohne ABU 2004 Arhus Nepenthes 2005 in Danish ABU info 06 07 Bunzel Druke Scharf amp Vierhaus Lydias Ende eine Tragikomodie ABU info 30 31 2006 07 pp 58 67 in German a b c Bunzel Druke Finck Kammer Luick Reisinger Riecken Riedl Scharf amp Zimball Wilde Weiden Praxisleitfaden fur Ganzjahresbeweidung in Naturschutz und Landschaftsentwicklung ABU 2008 ISBN 978 3 0002 4385 1 Cis van Vuure History Morphology and Ecology of the Aurochs Bos primigenius 2002 Internationales Zuchtbuch fur Heckrinder Breeding of the reconstructed aurochs Hortobagyi Nemzeti Park 2015 Retrieved 12 March 2016 Walter Frisch Der Auerochs Das europaische Rind 2010 ISBN 978 3 00 026764 2 a b Waltraut Zimmermann Lydia Kolter Istvan Sandor Naturschutzprojekt Hortobagy Jahresbericht 2003 Archived 2013 12 03 at the Wayback Machine Zeitschrift des Kolner Zoo 2004 in German Julia Poettinger Vergleichende Studie zur Haltung und zum Verhalten des Wisents und des Heckrinds 2011 in German Waltraut Zimmermann Lydia Kolter Istvan Sandor Naturschutzprojekt Hortobagy Jahresbericht 2011 Zeitschrift des Kolner Zoo 2012 in German Projekt Urokse A pilot project from Lille Vildmose National Park pdf The Amt of Northern Jutland 2005 Retrieved 26 November 2013 in Danish Uffe Gjol Sorensen Vildokserne ved Lille Vildmose 2003 2010 Status rapport med anbefalinger til projektets forvaltning Archived version Kobenhavn UG Sorensen Consult 2010 Retrieved 26 November 2013 in Danish Tauru pecteci atgriezusies Papes plavas www tvnet lv 4 March 2004 Retrieved 24 May 2014 in Latvian Ierodas 24 jauni dzivnieki savvalas zirgi un tauri www tvnet lv 14 October 2004 Retrieved 24 May 2014 in Latvian External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taurus cattle Margret Bunzel Druke Edgar Reisinger Taurus cattle A stand in for the aurochs Archived version 2010 Pdf of ppt Retrieved 24 May 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Taurus Project amp oldid 1192987249, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
