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Size:
1.8 metres tall at shoulder
Weight: 1000kgs
Distribution: Europe, North Africa
and South western Asia
Description: The
aurochs was the ancestor of all modern day, European breeds of domestic
cattle. It finally became
extinct in Europe in 1627, the last one dying in Poland.
In Britain, the species became extinct at least a thousand years
earlier. Given that
the aurochs may be the same species as modern day cattle, attempts have
been made to recreate the animal from existing, domestic breeds.
This is known as the heck cattle and it looks fairly similar to a
modern day European bison. Much
of the knowledge of what this species looked like has been gained from
cave paintings where the animal is often depicted.
By modern standards, the aurochs was very large and probably
greater in weight than a modern day African buffalo – with a body
colour and temperament to match.
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