Farmer brings 'Nazi' cows back to Britain after 2,000 years

[Steve Lenz]

A breed of cattle that was recreated by Nazi geneticists after becoming extinct can be seen in Britain for the first time for 2,000 years.

Aurochs were last seen in Britain in Roman times but they became extinct in mainland Europe in 1627.

However, before the Second World War, Nazi leaders recruited zoologist brothers Heinz and Lutz Heck to bring the hardy breed "back into existence."The breed features in Teutonic folklore and Heck cattle were seen as a symbol of German oppression and efforts to build a master Aryan race.

The Heck brothers traced the species' descendants to domestic breeds and created the cattle at zoos in Berlin and Munich.

The cattle were largely destroyed following the defeat of Nazism in 1945. However, some survived in nature conservation parks in mainland Europe, and 13 Heck bulls and cows have now been imported from Belgium to a farm at Broadwoodwidger, West Devon.

Derek Gow, a farmer and conservationist, who has imported the half-ton animals, said the Nazis wanted to recreate the auroch to evoke the power of the "runes, folklores and legends of the Germanic peoples", and Heck cattle were used as a propaganda motif.

He said: "Aurochs were wild bulls. Julius Caesar recorded them as being bulls as big as elephants.

"Young men hunted these bulls as preparation for battle and leadership in war, but also to obtain these huge 6ft-wide horns that the bulls had as drinking vessels and war horns. They were huge trophies."

He added: "Hunting was a very big part of what people like Hermann Goering, who was head of the Luftwaffe, did. He was the hunt Reichmarshal for the Third Reich, and this was something that was considered very manly to do."

Mr Gow said his Heck cattle, which had been quarantined, were shorter than the aurochs, but they retained the muscular build, deep brown complexion, and shaggy, coffee-coloured fringe.

He added: "They look like cave paintings of Lascaux and Altamira. It makes you think of the light of a tallow lamp and these huge bulls on these cave paintings leaping out at you from darkened walls."

As part of a farm diversification project, Mr Gow is to hold wildlife photography and film-making courses featuring the cattle during the summer. He also has beavers, polecats, and voles at the farm.

One of his beavers remains on the loose after escaping last year. But Mr Gow said he knew where the animal was and was planning to put down traps when the water levels in a nearby river stabilize and vegetation grows to stabilize the traps..


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... years.html

[Beate]

Info: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckrind

Kommentar zum Artikel spar ich mir.

[Thomas Trauner]

The cow has landed......

Insidergag....

Thomas

[Blattspitze]

The cow has landed......

Trojanische Kühe?

[Thomas Trauner]

No Sir,

ein Klassiker der Spionage/Kriegsromane ist: "Der Adler ist gelandet". Auch verfilmt. Siehe u.a:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_Has_Landed

Ein paar Deutsche landen 1943/44in GB, mit dem Ziel Churchill zu töten.
Geht natürlich gut aus...

Th.

[Blattspitze]

Yes Sir, weil:

Eines Nachts öffnen sich die Nazi Cows und es steigen Nazis aus ...

(englische Urangst)
Marquardt
"Über Geschmack lässt sich streiten"