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Our commitment to animal breeds threatened with extinction

We give animals a voice

Project: Our commitment to animal breeds threatened with extinction

There are many reasons why many domestic animal breeds are threatened with extinction. What is certain, however, is that industrialised animal husbandry, and therefore society, is a major contributor.

The industry often optimises animals for higher yields. As a result, “turbo cows”, which produce more milk than other breeds, are currently being bred. For this reason, traditional alpine farming and therefore the survival of old breeds such as the Tyrolean grey cattle is under threat. Many end consumers also wanted soft sheep’s wool. This is why many old sheep breeds, such as the Zackel sheep, are now endangered.

The same applies to other animal products that have a direct impact on the survival of animal breeds. Gut Aiderbichl has been committed to endangered animal breeds for many years and wants to give them a voice in public.

Our project at a glance

Our commitment to endangered animal breeds

Initial situation:

  • Old livestock breeds are slowly dying out
  • This means that their genetic material is also disappearing.
  • The natural ecosystem is at risk.

Target:

  • We give a voice to the forgotten animals

Our work:

  • Our farms are home to many endangered species, such as the Zackel sheep and the blacknose sheep.
  • We actively engage in public relations work online and on the farms.

Outlook:

  • Each year, a different old farm or domestic animal will be the focus of our work

"If the climate crisis is Mother Earth's fever, then species extinction is her dementia." (Eckart von Hirschhausen, physician, presenter and climate protection activist).

Our project - the whole story

Our commitment to animal breeds threatened with extinction

We would like to introduce you to some of the endangered animal species that have found a new home at Gut Aiderbichl. They are examples of the many endangered animal species living in Europe and around the world. They deserve our special protection!

Tiger

The big cat with the impressive orange fur lives mainly in forested regions, but is also found in savannahs. In the forests, the tigers’ striped fur serves as camouflage in the undergrowth: incidentally, the stripes are as individual as a fingerprint. Most of the animals living in the wild are currently found in India.

Why are tigers threatened with extinction?

Although the number of tigers worldwide is increasing again slightly, they are still considered a highly endangered species. The main reason for the disappearance of tigers is human activity: poachers hunt the majestic animals for their beautiful fur or because people, especially in China, hope to cure themselves with medicines made from tiger bones. To make matters worse, humans are also continuing to destroy the tigers’ natural habitat. The animals can hardly find any protection or food there.

In Europe, the beautiful predators live in zoos or circuses. To protect the animals, many European countries have already banned wild animals from circuses. This development is essential for the protection of animals. But what to do with the animals that used to live in circuses? Tamer Markus is also faced with this problem. If his five protégés Sandy, Floy, Tango, Roxy and Sonja cannot be housed in a species-appropriate way, this could mean their death sentence in the worst case scenario. Gut Aiderbichl wants to help and is looking for a way out.

 

 

K.u.K. donkey (white baroque donkey)

The origins of donkeys date back to the Baroque period in eastern Austria and Hungary. In this era, light-coloured animals were very popular in aristocratic society. They were regarded as “bringers of light” and symbolised goodness. Lipizzaners or the white baroque donkey conquered the castles of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. However, it is unclear where the unmistakable colour genetics come from – the donkeys are neither white nor albino.

Why are Baroque donkeys threatened with extinction?

The white Baroque donkey was a fad of the Baroque and Rococo periods. After that, the Baroque donkey was considered lost until 1986, when Prof Fritz Dietrich Altmann rediscovered a few specimens at Herberstein Zoo. There are only a few hundred of Austria’s only recognised donkey breed left in the world.

Racket sheep

They have been native to Hungary since the 9th century, where they were the most common breed of sheep until the 18th century. They are the hallmark of the Hungarian Puszta. There are two colour varieties of Zackel sheep – white and black. The special feature of the Zackel sheep are the helically (corkscrew-like) twisted horns, which are V-shaped in the Hungarian type. Zigzag sheep are the last type of sheep with helical horns.

Why are the Zackel sheep threatened with extinction?

In addition to the utilisation of the meat, the use of the coarse wool for the production of weather-resistant fur coats was particularly popular in the past. The shaggy, dense fur is impermeable to water and enables the animals to withstand temperatures between -20°C and +40°C. Since the 19th century, the demand for weatherproof wool among the population has continued to fall. Instead, the soft wool of the merino sheep became more popular. This eventually led to the Zackel sheep hardly being bred any more.

Woolly pig (Mangalitsa pig)

The Mangalitsa pig is a Hungarian breed of pig characterised by curly, woolly bristles. Few domestic pigs are as densely furred as their ancestors, the wild boar. The piglets are striped like wild boar pigs. There are three colour types: Large-framed blondes, red mangalitsa and swallow-bellied mangalitsa. Their thick layer of fat and coat protect these robust pigs from extreme weather conditions. They can therefore live outdoors all year round, provided they have shelter and a mud wallow. The character of the woolly pig is very good-natured. If treated well, they are very trusting and like to be touched.

The origins of the Mangalitsa pig breed date back to the 1830s. Around 1890, there were nine million Mangalitsa pigs in Hungary. After the Second World War, the old breed experienced a new upswing in Hungary because it was able to cope with the adverse living conditions. Until the 1950s, the Mangalitsa pig was the predominant breed in Hungary.

Why is the woolly pig threatened with extinction?

As the leading fat pig, the Mangalitsa pig fed the population of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. From the 1950s onwards, the demand for lean pork became ever greater. This made the breeding of Mangalitsa pigs economically unviable. The breed fell more and more into oblivion. At the end of the 1970s, the Mangalitsa pig was only kept in Austria in national and animal parks or occasionally by small breeders for their own use. The woolly pig is now an endangered domestic animal breed.

Hungarian grey cattle

Grey cattle are an old domestic cattle breed from the Hungarian lowlands. The breed is particularly suitable for extensive grazing systems. The grey cattle probably came to the Hungarian lowlands in the 9th century with the immigration of the Hungarians from their previous homeland in the east. Hungarian grey cattle are slender, large-framed and long-legged. The cattle are robust, undemanding, easy-breeding and long-lived. The horns, which usually point straight upwards, are long, curved and protruding. Bulls can have horns up to 80 cm long.

The colouring of the animals changes with the number of years they live. After birth, the calves are reddish-yellow in colour, with different shades ranging from light to dark. They begin to turn grey at the age of two to three months. In adult grey cattle, there are various shades from silver-white to ash grey. The coat colour can change with the season. They are darker in winter and the colour is at its most beautiful after the spring coat change.

Why is the Hungarian grey cattle threatened with extinction?

Grey cattle are robust animals that are less suited to being kept indoors. This fact, in combination with the demand for milk and dairy products, meant that the old breed was no longer able to “compete” with other cattle species.

Gut Aiderbichl Locations

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Icon Henndorf near Salzburg

Henndorf near Salzburg

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Icon Iffeldorf near Munich

Iffeldorf near Munich

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Icon Deggendorf near Passau

Deggendorf near Passau

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