Aurochs rebirth. A Nazi fantasy lives on.

[Tiki Tom]

Of course, the Nazi mad scientists were at work in a number of areas. One of them was an attempt to re-create the extinct Aurochs via a back-breeding program. They had sort of half-baked results and the cattle breed known as Heck Cattle was as far as they got. Heck cattle are big and mean, but they are not Aurochs.

Now, however, I learn that mad scientists are again at work on the same project:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/13/world/europe/ap-eu-czech-ancient-cattle-.html?_r=0

Cool. I can't wait to one day be walking through my local Vienna Woods and come face to face with a one metric ton beast with meter-long horns and murder in his heart. Um, or maybe I can.

 

[PeterB]

Fascinating post. This forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Big J]

Why would the nazis do that? Not enough cows?

 

[Tiki Tom]

The Nazis were nuts about anything that harked back to the half-mythic, romanticized Germanic past of castles, knights and thick Teutonic Woods. The idea of repopulating the legendary forests of Germany with Aurochs was too much for them to pass up. Hermann Göring supported the back-breeding plan and imagined himself one day leading top Nazi brass on Aurochs hunts. The brothers Heck, 2 trained animal husbandry types, were enlisted to make the dream come true. Strange, but true. There are a few herds of "Heck Cattle" still scattered around.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-super-aggressive-breed-tried-kill-staff.html

 

[Renault]

Hmmm! Them Heck Critters look just like a Jersey bull I had one time! Mean little cuss he was!!!