The moo-racle of life
Video: Paul Spiteri Lucas
Fifteen years have gone by since the initiation of the breed-back programme of the Maltese cow. timesofmalta.com dropped by at the Ghammieri Government Farm, to check how the lean, huge, cows are faring.
The story of the Maltese cow - saved by a hair’s breath – thanks to the prompt action taken at the very last moment, has the happy ending of a fairytale. It’s a miracle story of how biodiversity was saved from perishing.
The Maltese indigenous cow is considered to be a species which can be traced back to the prehistoric era – as is evidenced by the etchings of bulls on some of the stonework in our prehistoric temples.
The breed-back programme started in the early nineties when the authorities were alerted to the fact that the last indigenous Maltese bull has passed away. “At that point there were only three indigenous female cows left, in the care of Paul Saliba in Zejtun,” said Mark Brincat, of the Department of Maternity and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Malta.
A decision was taken to inseminate one of the females with a ‘related’ bull from Europe. She gave birth to a calf and that in turn was mated with a pure cow. “That’s breed-back programme scheme. Gradually we got a bull which can be classified as ‘pure breed’,” said Prof Brincat. Nowadays Malta has a herd of more than 20 indigenous cows.
What are the main characteristics of a Maltese cow? “The domesticated Maltese cow was not a food source, but a muscle force. They do not have any fat and are very lean. They were crucial in the building of the temples and local churches. These are very calm and tranquil cows. They are resistant to the sun, whereas other cows can’t stand it,” said Prof Brincat.
Prof Brincat said that it would have been a tragedy had we not managed to save the species: “Just to give you an idea it would have been worse than losing one of the Neolithic temples, because with the loss of such a species, an aspect of biodiversity would have been lost.”
The plan is for the indigenous cows to be relocated to private farms. “In future when we would have bred enough we will distribute them to farmers. We also plan to relocate some to farms in Gozo so that we won’t have the herd in just one place,” said Noel Azzopardi, acting director of the Department of Agriculture.
Farmers will be eligible for financial subsidies and European Union grants if they keep a Maltese bull on their farm. “They won’t be used to work the land - nowadays there’s machinery for that - but our aim is to keep the Maltese cow alive,” said Mr Azzopardi.
The cows cannot be bred for meat production, as they are very lean, nor are they bred to produce a lot of milk: “They produce just enough for their calves,” said Mr Azzopardi, “however because of their make up, their milk is very fatty and extremely nutritious - the best of its kind.”
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25 Comments
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Mark Vella Bardon
Sep 5th 2010, 22:06
What a mignificent beast ... and if we have only 99.9% of purity of a living animal of this beauty let's thank all those involved in its procreation and preervation. May everything else of the prehistoria have the good fortune to survive for future generations!
R Muscat
Sep 1st 2010, 10:47
Well done to Prof Brincat and the rest of the team, this is a step in the right direction and it is a pity that a similar programme was not conducted for the selmunette lizard, unfortunately extinction is forever.
There is a similar programme in Europe for the re introduction of the Auroch, a wild prehiistoric species of cattle that was driven to extinction in the 17th century. Seeing that the maltese cow is so old it's DNA may be useful in this particular programme.
R. Azzopardi
Sep 1st 2010, 08:55
Lovely news. I remember first reading about this breed of cows (or oxen) in 1994 or 1995. The breed was all but forgotten. A class of primary school children were asked to draw a cow by their teacher and one particular child drew this type of cow. The child's teacher asked the child where he / she had seen such a cow and the child replied that it belonged to his / her grandfather. The teacher showed interest and, thankfully, the right people stepped in.
Francis Farrugia
Sep 1st 2010, 08:10
I think that somebody has missed a point. Had it not been For Mr. Godrey Camilleri an ex Acting Director of Agriculture and a Professional Agricultural Officer who started the ball rolling for this project, we would not have recovered back this breed. He was the person who worked so hard against all odds to start the ball rolling. So a big thank you to Professor Brincat but also to Mr. Godfrey Camilleri, and if somebody needs to know more how all this started up, I think that one should better ask Mr. Camilleri .
adrian bajada
Sep 1st 2010, 07:58
Well Done. It is great to learn that we have so much as regards to heritage . Well done to you all. Prosit Profs. Saving our indigenous cow species is as said very very important. BRAVO, to all.
Charles Sammut
Aug 31st 2010, 18:47
Isn't it mind boggling how extreme measures are taken (and rightly so) to preserve dio-diversity in animals and yet, if someone were to suggest the same for humans, he would be labeled a eugenic nazi? Isn't it bewildering how some people worship at the altar of bio-diversity and then believe in a policy of miscgenation for humans? How sad for humans.
C Cassar
Aug 31st 2010, 20:19
Humans aren't an endangered species, in fact quite the opposite.
Charles Sammut
Aug 31st 2010, 21:19
Neither are cows.
Peter Korsten
Aug 31st 2010, 23:05
@Charles Sammut
As far as I know, humans are not cattle, and are capable of making rational decisions. Who are you or anyone else to decide who may procreate with whom?
Kenneth Cassar
Sep 1st 2010, 08:19
The key-word here is "personhood". The human-centric view (the general view) does not consider non-human animals as persons (not to be confused with "people"). In law and common understanding, only persons have the right to be treated as individuals.
That is why controlled and manipulated breeding of non-human animals is generally accepted in the promotion of bio-diversity, while anyone proposing the same for humans is branded a "eugenic Nazi".
John M. Grima
Aug 31st 2010, 18:46
I DO remember at least one cow in Bahrija in the ealry 40s. She was used for work in the fields. And some small amount of milk, for the owner. Also there was a milk heard around the area of the catacoms, in Rabat.
Adrian Borg
Aug 31st 2010, 17:24
I am no expert. But I ask can this breed be cross bread with other cows, which then might produce an animal fit for purpose, meat or dairy. Doing so would still safeguard the gene pool. This may make the up keep of such an important bread for the Maltese commercially viable and so not relaying on subsidies. Can someone please enlighten me?
Charles Sammut
Aug 31st 2010, 19:01
You missed the point of the whole exercise. The aim was to PRESERVE the Maltese bovine for the sake of itself. If you want a milk producer, there are plenty of other breeds available.
Anthony Cassar
Aug 31st 2010, 17:09
Well done Prof.Brincat. finally your hard work is paying back.
Jesmond Micallef
Aug 31st 2010, 17:02
What an amazing news item. What a complete and absolute joy. I remember once reading about the Maltese bull. May I wholeheartedly congratulate Prof. Mark Brincat, Mr. Noel Azzopardi and all who made this success, possible. Astounding, Malta's indigenous Cows and Bulls brought back from the verge of extinction.
Simply superb, the best news ever, literally, keep them rolling in timesofmalta.com. Thank you. !!
Joe Cutajar
Aug 31st 2010, 16:59
Well done to everybody who was involved in this project.
Dylan Olliver
Aug 31st 2010, 16:53
Excellent. Keep up the good work.
George Mifsud
Aug 31st 2010, 16:53
Hi,
What MALTESE cow? One can see the same species all over North Africa and the near Middle East. As for the breed back program - you can never achieve 100% pure blood. If I am not mistaken the original sire to start this so-called program was a Charolais pedigree bull.
So we ended up cross breeding a thoroughbred Charolais with a mongrel ox. Yes, I believe that the mythical maltese cow is really an ox. Some moo-racle!
Bernard Storace
Aug 31st 2010, 16:18
I am very pleased with this news. Would it be possible to reintroduce the owl?
Victor Zammit
Aug 31st 2010, 16:14
I might be heavily mistaken, but how can it be considered as "pure breed" when the species has been continued using Sicilian bulls (as mentioned in a previous article years ago in this same paper) to mate with the last few cows we had here in Malta? If logic is correct, it cannot ever be a purebreed, and in effect the true Maltese Cow is extinct. We only have a species that is just 99% or thereabouts pure.
J Farrugia
Sep 1st 2010, 08:35
at least we are doing something to preserve the little that remains in this breed. and thank heavens for the work they are doing to continue preserving this breed. As for those who are commenting negatively, well let them talk more nonsense.
Marcel Dingli
Aug 31st 2010, 16:11
Holy cow , what a cow !
A Agius
Aug 31st 2010, 15:55
I have never HERD of these BEEFore.
If I am not miSTEAKen your MOOvie shows none of the cows wearing bells........ a shame since their horns don't work :-)
Oh wait a minute - (artificial I presume) insemination was mentioned - insemination is not natural - against nature is against the way of god, oh no
Run lest yee fear the wrath of Joe Zammit
ct busuttl
Aug 31st 2010, 15:48
Nice to read some positive news. Great initiative.
anthony mangion
Aug 31st 2010, 16:24
the maltese cow that you refer to is yheGENDUS