Giant cows hunted to extinction in 1627. Now, their ancestor is making comeback

Centuries after the massive ancestor of modern-day cattle went extinct, a new breed is being released in Denmark to rewild the terrain.

Aurochs, or Bos primigenius, were a species of massive cow that lived hundreds of thousands of years before habitat loss and hunting led to their extinction in 1627.

They originally lived in Europe, Asia and North Africa, but only their much smaller domestic descendants live there today.

Hoping to bring back a version of these formidable creatures, the Hempel Foundation worked to breed an animal similar to the aurochs using their DNA still found in living bovines, according to an Aug. 20 post from Rewilding Europe.

Thirty tauros will be released in the Saksfjed Vildmark, or wilderness, of Lolland, an island in southeastern Denmark, the Hempel Foundation said in an Aug. 18 news release.

It will be the first time the cows have lived in Denmark, and wildlife officials hope they will step into the role aurochs once filled in the ecosystem, according to the release.

The breed was created through an international breeding program that used “backbreeding” from six of the world’s oldest cattle breeds to create a breed most similar to aurochs, according to the release.

The cattle were primarily from southern and eastern Europe, which were physically the most similar to the ancient breed, researchers said.

The new taurox bulls can reach about 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh more than 3,000 pounds, according to the release, dwarfing modern-day bovine equivalents.

Aurox horns could be more than 3 feet long, and the taurox horns rival this, researchers said.

The large herbivores are called keystone species, meaning they play an integral role in the health and survival of an ecosystem. They can create environments that other endangered species rely on, according to the release.

The taurox will be released in a wilderness area of about 2,000 acres and owned by the Hempel Foundation.

“Through grazing, trampling and creating natural disturbances, they’ll help shape the landscape and open habitats for plants, insects, birds and fungi,” Rewilding Europe said in the post. “Their ecological impact will be studied by Aarhus University.”

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