Vechur cow
We recently talked about the cowbird, but today I’d just like to talk about cows. Cows are ubiquitous here in India. The Vechur cow, however is on the FAO’s ‘Critical-Maintained Breeds List.’ The Vechur cow is a dwarf cow from Kerala, India. A male generally reaches a maximum length of 124 cm and height of 87 cm. It is said be the smallest cow in the world, the high-fat milk it produces is valued for its medicinal properties. It used to be the ideal “backyard cow” and it was customary in Kerala to give a Vechur cow as part of a dowry. The Vechur cow was widespread in Kerala until the 1960s, but became rare when native cattle were crossbred with exotic varieties.
About 200 Vechur cows supposedly exist today, nearly 100 of them are at the Veterinary College Mannuthy in Trissur. The cow pictured above is also rare to me because I saw it locked-up in its stable. Usually when I see them around here, they are shepherding themselves through the meadows while the dogs lie asleep under the sun, hanging around town, hiking the steep mountain roads…
Organikos 