Steven Morris of The Guardian reports on a herd cows in Devon that were bred by a pair of brothers who wanted to recreate the aurochs, "an extinct European wild ox" that "features as an important beast in Teutonic mythology."
Derek Gow believes Heck cattle – which, he says, "look prehistoric" – could one day have an important conservation role, taking the place of aurochs in the environment. "They would be ideal for a reintroduction programme in Britain because they don't need human attention."
He added: "They are an important part of the ecosystem because each cow produces its own weight in dung a year. That is excellent for the whole food chain, from dung beetles upwards."
