'37' WORLDS SMALLEST COW RESCUED FROM EXTINCTION P K Uthaman

Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Cattle Breedsof India, published by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR)showed pictures of 30 breeds. The latest addition was a dwarf cattle from Kerala calledthe Vechur cattle. The Vechur cattle thus became the first among Kerala cattle, all ofwhich were hitherto referred to as nondescript, to get the stamp of approval as a distinctbreed from the ICAR. A select group of animals of the same species with distinctive,inheritable characteristics is called a breed. The thirty recognised breeds in Indiaconstitute around 20 per cent of the countrys total cattle population. The rest arereferred to as nondescript. The Vechur cow has now attracted internationalrecognition and attention . The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has listed theVechur cattle among the Indian breeds in their Domestic Animal Diversity InformationSystem. The World Watch List of Domestic Animal Diversity, also published by the FAO, haslisted the Vechur cattle under the category of Critical Breeds, meaning nearly extinct. The credit of saving the Vechur cattle from thebrink of extinction goes to a conservation programme undertaken by the Kerala AgricultureUniversity (KAU). Had the programme been delayed for a few years, the Vechur cattle wouldhave now been listed among the extinct animals. Subsequent to the studies conducted by the KAU, theVechur cattle are now recognised as the smallest cattle in the world. Before Vechur caughtthe attention of the scientific community, a Mexican cow measuring one metre in height wasconsidered to be the smallest. The maximum height of a Vechur cow is 91 cms. Thisdiminutive cow, weighing on an average 107 kgs. can give an average yield of 3 litres ofmilk per day which is the yield of the Mexican too. Proportionate to its body weight, theVechur cow yields maximum milk in the world.

Till recently the number of Indian cattle breeds was estimated at 26. But thelatest calendar of Indian

f040520001.jpg (45592 bytes)

Highly Adaptable Vechur cow got its ancient name from the villagewhere it is supposed to have evolved. Kerala, a narrow strip of land comprising hills andvalleys between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, had a large number of dwarf cattle.The local people had distinguished the Vechur cattle from others by certain welldefined,inheritable characteristics. They apparently preserved the purity of the breed byselective breeding. The extremely small size, low feed requirements, high diseaseresistant and lovable nature of the cute animals made the Vechur cattle the darling ofmany a household for the last several centuries. The dwarf cattle were well adapted forthe hot, humid tropical climate of Kerala. Vechur bulls, though small in size (maximumheight at hump level 105 cms), were very strong and these lightweight animals were usedfor ploughing marshy paddy fields typical of Kerala. Till 1960, Vechur cattle were very popular andabundant in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. Then a Government programme ofcrossbreeding of native cows with exotic bulls for higher milk yield was launched andimplemented vigorously since 1960. Maintaining productive, indigenous bulls was prohibitedby the newly enacted Kerala Livestock Act, 1961. As a result, the number of indigenouscattle gradually dwindled and by the 1980s the Vechur cattle became almost extinct. Conservation Movement It was the successful popular movement against theproposed hydroelectric project in a virgin rain forest called Silent Valley which createdenvironmental consciousness in Kerala in the early 1980s. It triggered off conservationaction on several fronts. Prof. Sosamma Iype, a teacher of Animal Genetics in VeterinaryCollege, Trissur, under the KAU became concerned about the loss of germplasm of the Vechurcattle . She had vivid childhood memories of the animals. She motivated a group ofenvironmentallyconscious university students to conduct an extensive search for Vechurcows and bulls in Kottayam, Idukky, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Trissur districts. Withgenerous support from local Animal Husbandry Department personnel, libraries, schools,voluntary organisations, panchayats and concerned individuals, it acquired thedimensions of a "Save Vechur Campaign".

The Vechur Conservation Project was launched in theVeterinary College, Trissur in July 1989 with a small herd of 8 animals including onebull. Subsequently, two dozen animals were added to the original stock. In the beginningthe project was funded entirely by the KAU, but soon the ICAR came to its support with aScheme on Conservation of Germplasm of Vechur Cattle. The ICAR allotted Rs.47lakh during 1993-98 for the scheme. A vigorous breeding programme was undertaken toproduce as many pure Vechur cattle as possible. Embryo-transfer technology was employed toproduce more progenies of females with good breed characteristics within a short span oftime. Now a nucleus stock of about 135 Vechur cows and bulls is maintained in two farms ofthe KAU. About 30 field units have also been established with animals supplied from thisstock in various parts of the State. Detailed characterisation studies of the Vehurcattle has been taken up by the KAU. The acrocentric nature of the Y-chromosomeestablishes that the Vechur cattle belong to the species of the Zebu cattle (Bosindicus) as different from the European cattle (Bos taurus) which hasmetacentric Y-chromosome. Infant mortality has been found to be almost nil inVechur cattle under farm conditions. It has also been observed by the scientists of theKAU that these dwarf animals are quite resistant to foot and mouth disease and mastitis,two diseases which play havoc with hybrid cows in Kerala. Compared to crossbred cows,significantly lower incidences of respiratory infections have been reported from Vechurcattle. The gene(s) responsible for these qualities is our insurance for the future. Theanimal breeders of tomorrow may require this gene to save our cattle wealth from a totalliquidation by pests and germs. Milk analyses done in the KAU now support theempirical findings of the unknown ayurvedic physicians. The percentage of fat and totalsolids in the milk of Vechur cows is higher compared to crossbred cows. But a moresignificant aspect is the size of the fat globules. The mean size of fat globule in themilk of the Vechur cow (3.21 microns) is higher than that of the goat (2.60 microns), butconsiderably smaller than that of the crossbred cows (4.87 microns) and of Murrah buffalo(5.85 microns). The small size of fat globules means high phospholipid content because ofgreater surface area. Phospholipids are important in the development of brain and nervetissues and also play a vital role in the absorption and digestion of fat. Since the Vechur cow milk has got higher proportionof smaller fat globules and saturated fatty acids, it would be therapeutically useful inmalabsorption syndrome. Thus the Vechur cow milk and its products are suitable for infantsand the sick. In general, the Vechur cattle is the ideal choice of a farmer who cannotafford the sophisticated dairy management practices but wants milk just enough for homeconsumption.