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Biodiversity
The Tauros, a giant ox resembling an auroch, is coming to Denmark for the first time. It will fill the role that the original aurochs had in nature before it became extinct.
Thirty Tauros oxes will be released into Saksfjed Wilderness on Lolland in South Eastern Denmark, where they will increase biodiversity and create wilder nature.
The Tauros was created through an international breeding programme without the use of genetic manipulation by ‘breeding back’ using a number of the world's oldest cattle breeds from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Eastern Europe – breeds that are genetically and physically close to the aurochs.
These original cattle breeds, which the breeding programme has used, have typically retained many of the natural characteristics that the wild oxes had before they were domesticated and used as farm animals. Therefore, they often resemble their wild ancestors, the aurochs. The original characteristics of the aurochs have been studied by mapping and studying the complete genomes of a number of different aurochs finds, which has made it possible today to breed an animal that is very close to the original aurochs.
The Tauros can reach a shoulder height of up to 1.80 metres and a weight of almost 1,500 kilograms, which makes its impact on its surroundings significantly greater than that of a typical farm cattle. The aurochs' horns could grow up to one metre long. The Tauros’ horns are close to the same length.
"Large herbivores such as wild cattle and similar wild animals have played a crucial role in nature for hundreds of thousands of years. They are referred to as “keystone species” because their impact is so important to other species. Large herbivores, such as Tauros, create the habitats that many endangered species depend on. By releasing Tauros in Saksfjed Wilderness, we are seeking to re-establish the key function’s of the Auroch in Danish nature," says Thor Hjarsen, biologist and project head for the Hempel Foundationsbiodiversity portfolio in Denmark.
This is the first time that wild Tauros have been released in a Nordic country, and Saksfjed Wilderness will be part of the ongoing breeding programme managed by Grazelands Rewilding in the Netherlands.
The Hempel Foundation owns and operates Saksfjed Wilderness, which consists of 800 hectares in the southernmost part of Lolland. The initiative aims to generate new knowledge that can ensure greater biodiversity in Denmark.
"With Saksfjed Wilderness, we want to collaborate with researchers and test new methods to investigate how we can create the greatest possible biodiversity and wild nature in Denmark in a cost-effective and scalable way by accelerating the rewilding of large areas. Bringing the Tauros to Denmark is one of many initiatives in what will serve as a living nature laboratory for new knowledge and best practice – something that will support the fulfilment of Denmark's national and international goals in the area of biodiversity and nature," says Anders Holm, CEO of the Hempel Foundation.
Research into the nature of the future
It has long been well known among nature managers and in the research environment that large herbivores play a prominent role in restoring biodiversity. And while ordinary cattle can take us part of the way, many years of breeding for farming purposes have removed the wild behaviour that has a trulypositive impact on nature. Exactly how big the difference is will be determined by a multi-year research programme in collaboration with Aarhus University.
"The Tauros is not only a spectacular animal, but also an important key to understanding how large herbivores can enhance the effect of rewilding and promote biodiversity. The research programme will provide us with important knowledge about large herbivores in today's ecosystems and lay the foundation for future nature management," says Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at the Department of Biology at Aarhus University and one of the leading forces behind the research.
Prior to release, the tauros underwent extensive health checks with a focus on animal welfare and infection prevention. The animals were tested for a wide range of diseases, including Blue Tongue, which occurs in certain European countries.