Caucasian tour animal. Tur, or the primitive bull Cattle closest to the Tur

The Caucasian tur, or stone goat, is an animal living emblem of the Caucasus mountains. The bearded head of the aurochs is crowned with heavy saber-shaped horns. Tur is the highest mountain animal of the Caucasus.

Surprisingly dexterous and resilient, mountain goats, they also chose the safest habitats for themselves, in their opinion.

Caucasian tour animal - female with baby

True, the Caucasian tour spends most of the year among rocky crevices with scanty grass, and only in severe frosts do the animals descend down to the fir forest, and even then only females with babies.

Ibex

When the tours are resting, they seem leisurely and ponderous. Indeed, the weight of male turs reaches 100-150 kg!

But suddenly a danger signal sounds - sharp whistling of a guard stone goat- and instantly the entire herd of animals will easily flutter along the stone cornices, jumping from rock to rock to rock for three to four meters.

Even a five-day-old Turtle can, almost without bending its legs, jump onto a high stone shelf. No predator can keep up with climbing goats. Turs die only in avalanches and from the bullets of heartless poachers.

Systematics and phylogenetic relationships
Tur (primitive aurochs, primitive bull, wild bull) is a typical representative of the genus Bos (actually bulls) and the only representative of the subgenus Bos (real bulls) that has survived to our time and was exterminated already in historical times.
Currently, there is no consensus regarding the species name of the described animal. It all depends on what time the origin of this species is attributed to. Among the Pleistocene representatives of the genus Bos on the territory of the former USSR, some authors identify up to 5-6 species of this genus. Others (for example, V.I. Gromova, 1931) accept only two species - the glacial Bos trochoceros and its direct descendant - Bos primigenius. This view should be considered the most substantiated (Geptner, Nasimovich, Bannikov, 1961). It is more correct to attribute all other varieties of aurochs only to the geographical and chronological races of this bull. Some authors accept the species name Bos taurus for the aurochs, thereby identifying at the species level the wild aurochs and its domesticated form - European livestock (South Asian cattle probably originate from another group of bulls, the so-called big-fronted bulls of the subgenus Bibos) and separating it from the Pleistocene tour forms – Bos primigenius. However, such fragmentation (Bos trochoceros - Bos primigenius - Bos taurus) seems artificial. The most correct, in my opinion, is to identify only two species of the evolutionary line of aurochs - Bos trochoceros and its direct descendant - Bos primigenius, that is, the aurochs itself. European livestock should be considered only a domesticated form of Bos primigenus and classified as a subspecies - Bos primigenius taurus (some, however, give it species status - Bos taurus, which is incorrect). Thus, the Holocene aurochs, exterminated in historical times, were the same species as the Pleistocene aurochs, or, as it is also called, the primitive bull.
The most closely related species of aurochs in the modern fauna is the yak (Bos grunniens (syn. Bos mutus)). Some taxonomists place it, together with the aurochs, in the subgenus Bos, while others tend to allocate the yak to a special subgenus Poephagus within the genus Bos. Be that as it may, the yak, as noted above, is the closest form of tur among modern animals. The morphology of the yak expresses typically bovine (genus Bos) features, although it also combines some structural features of bison (genus Bison), being a kind of “transitional” form between real bulls and bison (Geptner, Nasimvochi, Bannikov, 1961). On this basis, some taxonomists place bison in the genus Bos, distinguishing them only as a subgenus Bison. On the other hand, Asian bulls of the subgenus Bibos (foreheaded bulls) are quite closely related to the bison. Based on modern taxonomy, according to which bison are placed in a separate genus, and big-fronted bulls are distinguished only at the subgenus level, it can be quite reasonably considered that big-faced bulls (subgenus Bibos) are more related to the aurochs (and all other representatives of the subgenus Bos) than bison (genus Bison ). Although the connection between big-headed bulls and bison is obvious, and they, in turn, are more closely related to bison than real bulls. The greater isolation of bison in relation to real bulls is indicated, among other things, by the fact that hybrid males (unlike females) obtained from such crosses are sterile.
So, to summarize the phylogenetic relationships of the tur, we should say the following: among modern species, the closest relative of the bulls of the subgenus Bos in general and the tur in particular is the yak (whether or not distinguished as a separate subgenus), then the big-faced bulls of the subgenus Bibos, and only then the bison. The group of buffaloes (both Asian and African), belonging to different genera, represents a different evolutionary branch of the bovine subfamily (Bovinae) and is further removed from real bulls than the above-mentioned yaks, big-headed bulls and bison.

Taxonomy
Squad: Artiodactyla (artiodactyls)
Suborder: Ruminantia (ruminants)
Infrasquad: Pecora (horned)
Family: Bovidae (bovids)
Subfamily: Bovinae (bovine)
Tribe: Bovini (bulls)
Genus: Bos (real bulls)
Subgenus: Bos (real bulls)
View: Bos primigenius (tur, primeval, or wild bull)

Morphology
The aurochs, or primitive bull, represents, or rather was, a large, imposing animal with a powerful, but at the same time rather slender physique. The shoulder height of males was 170-180 cm, reaching, according to some sources, 2 meters, and body weight was 700-800 kg. Some sources claim that the weight of the animal could be as much as a ton. However, such figures should be treated with caution. Similar sizes are most likely true for Pleistocene and early Holocene animals. By historical time, the aurochs were somewhat reduced in size relative to their prehistoric relatives. However, it is quite possible that among the later animals there were individuals whose weight was close to a ton, and whose height was close to two meters, but such individuals were obviously atypically large accelerators.
In general appearance, the aurochs were of a lighter build than a modern bison or, especially, a bison. The spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae of the tur were much shorter than those of the named species, so its height at the withers was slightly greater than the height at the rump. The head was proportional to the body, relatively and most often absolutely narrower than that of bison, bison, big-fronted bulls and yaks. The horns were large and sharp. They grew first to the sides, then forward and slightly inward, the ends of the horns bent upward. Thus, the horns of aurochs were very formidable weapons and were more effective in battle than the horns of modern bulls. Currently, only the yak has horns that are equally effective for piercing attacks (the horns of these two species are very similar to each other). In general, the appearance of the tour is largely repeated by Spanish fighting bulls and semi-wild Camargue bulls. However, unlike them, the aurochs reached more impressive sizes, their coloring was more uniform (although in fighting bulls it is nevertheless overwhelmingly black or at least dark, like the aurochs), and along their ridge they had a characteristic light band. These breeds of bulls are also similar to aurochs in their behavior, differing from other breeds in their ardent disposition, fighting fervor and great mobility. In the 20th century, several attempts were made to restore the appearance of the aurochs by selecting modern breeds of cattle. The greatest results were achieved by the works of the Berlin Zoological Garden (L. Heck). Through careful selection of several primitive breeds of cattle, primarily Spanish fighting bulls, it was possible in a surprisingly short time to create a breed of bulls that were very similar to their mighty wild ancestor. This breed has not only typical turkish horns and a solid black color, but also a characteristic light belt along the back. By and large, morphologically these bulls are no different from the aurochs, except, perhaps, for a slightly heavier stock. However, in ethological terms, these are already different animals that differ from the aurochs no less than a domestic cat from a wild one. But in fairness, it should be noted that breeders, in their quest to recreate the aurochs, achieved amazing results: they managed to recreate not only the appearance of aurochs males, but also the bay coloration of females and young animals, that is, to obtain the sexual and age dimorphism characteristic of the aurochs, while as this is not observed among other domestic breeds of bulls, including those that served as the basis for the creation of the described breed.

Distribution and habitats
The distribution of the tour was very wide. However, it is quite difficult to restore the true distribution area of ​​this animal due to the fact that the remains of the post-glacial aurochs (Bos primigenus) are often mixed with the remains of its early and middle Pleistocene ancestor - Bos trochoceros. Nevertheless, we can say that initially the distribution area of ​​the tur covered Europe (with the exception of the northern regions), the Southern Urals, Trans-Urals, Transbaikalia, some areas of Western Siberia, China and Manchuria (from 50 to 40 degrees north latitude to the south and east to the Pacific ocean), Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, Crimea, Turkmenistan, Asia Minor, Israel, Mesopotamia and some other nearby territories, as well as North Africa - from Egypt to Mauritania. Some of this information probably relates to Bos trochoceros, and some to the Pleistocene habitat of the aurochs itself. It is very difficult to determine the distribution area of ​​the tour in historical times.
The biotopes of the tour were very diverse. He lived both in forests, sometimes even very dense ones, including damp and swampy ones, and in sparse forests, forest-steppe, steppe, etc., as well as in the foothills. In some places (Pyrenees, Caucasus) the Turs lived even in the mountains, up to and including alpine meadows. In Europe, in the last centuries of their existence, aurochs preferred open meadow pastures in the summer, and went into the forests for the winter, feeding partly on twig food (Geptner, Nasimovich, Bannikov, 1961).

Lifestyle and behavior
It is quite difficult to judge the behavior of an extinct animal. Nevertheless, thanks to historical data, as well as focusing on modern relatives of the aurochs, one can, to one degree or another, judge the lifestyle and behavioral traits of this animal. As for the latter, here, in my opinion, it is best to focus not on wild bulls (yaks, gaurs, bantengs, etc.), but on semi-wild or feral representatives of European cattle, as well as on such breeds as Spanish fighting bull.
The Tsrs lived in small groups. According to some information, they united in these groups mainly in the winter, and in the summer they stayed more alone. But most likely, adult males led a solitary lifestyle, and females from young animals obviously gathered in small herds. It is quite possible that males sometimes formed their own bachelor groups.
The basis of the diet of the aurochs was grass and shoots of trees and shrubs. In autumn, acorns played a very significant role in the nutrition of aurochs. The rut took place in September, the birth of calves in the spring (Geptner, Nasimovich, Bannikov, 1961).
The Turs had explosive temperaments and great fighting spirit. In Russian folklore they serve as a symbol of power and courage. Hunting these bulls, with their strength and mobility, was always very dangerous and was considered a valiant task. This is partly why some researchers explain the relatively small number of remains of aurochs compared to the remains of bison in the settlements of Paleolithic people.
In prehistoric times, the adult aurochs had few enemies. Wolves were a danger only to young animals. Only lions, primitive people, sometimes, probably bears, and in some regions also tigers could dare to attack seasoned bulls.

Causes of extinction
Tur refers to those animals of the Pleistocene megafauna that successfully crossed the Pleistocene boundary and lived safely already in the Holocene era. So the extinction of this species cannot be attributed to any climatic or any other natural changes. The reason for the extinction of the tur was both direct persecution by humans (hunting) and its displacement from its natural habitat (agriculture, cattle breeding). Aurochs became extinct over their vast habitat at different times. If you pay attention to the time of disappearance of the aurochs in certain regions, it becomes clear that the aurochs died out primarily in those places where people first became civilized and “cultivated.” So, in Egypt, the tour became extinct by the end of the ancient kingdom (before 2400 BC). In Mesopotamia, the tur "lasted" longer, where it was found during the Babylonian kingdom, but in the later times of the Assyrian kingdom it apparently became extinct (around 600 BC). In Central Europe, tours were found much later - in the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, aurochs existed in a wild state along the Rhine, Dnieper, in particular in the Chernigov lands (Geptner, Nasimvochi, Bannikov, 1961).
By 1400, aurochs had disappeared from Central and Western Europe, but were still found in the Kaliningrad region. The tours survived the longest in Poland (especially in Mazovia) and partly in Lithuania. In recent centuries and until the date of the death of the last round (1627), the animals lived here under the protection of special decrees, and then were kept as park animals in royal hunting grounds (Geptner, Nasimovich, Bannikov, 1961).
As has been noted more than once above, the aurochs is the ancestor of European cattle and is genetically very close to it. Cattle (European) essentially belong to the same species as the aurochs, that is, Bos primigenius. In some breeds of domestic bulls, signs of aurochs appear quite clearly. These breeds include Spanish fighting bulls, Scottish and English park cattle, Hungarian steppe cattle, gray Ukrainian cattle and some others.

© Based on materials from the encyclopedia “Mammals of the Soviet Union”, volume one – “Artiodactyls and Perissodactyls” (V.G. Geptner, A.A. Nasimovich, A.G. Bannikov), 1961.

Most of us, looking at photographs of cave paintings, do not think about who exactly our ancestors depicted. Tigers, mammoths, bulls... Nothing interesting, somehow everything is unrealistic and the proportions are not respected...

FIERCE GIANTS

Primitive wild bulls, most often called aurochs, were huge. During the Pleistocene era (which ended about 12,000 years ago), the height of the male reached 2 m, and the weight reached up to a ton. Gradually, the aurochs decreased in size, it is assumed that this was facilitated by the disappearance of enemies after the last ice age. As a result, their height stopped at 180 cm, and their weight stopped at 800 kg.

It was from the aurochs that livestock originated, although this fact remained a hypothesis for a long time: it was questioned that the aurochs’ habitat area was too large, but later it was proven that the aurochs lived not only in Europe, but also in the Caucasus, North Africa and in Asia Minor.

Externally, aurochs differed from modern bulls not only in size, but also in the length of their horns, which formed the shape of a lyre and could reach a meter in length. People were afraid of these animals, since aurochs often attacked hunters. Males were especially ferocious, while females attacked only if a person approached the cub. The sharp horns pierced a person right through, and after the victim fell, the auroch trampled it.

The bull also used its horns during mating games, and if it did not die during this period, it could live up to 15 years - this was the life expectancy of ancient bulls.

SHOW YOUR REGISTRATION

Scientists disagree about the aurochs' habitat. Some believe that they lived in forests, others that primitive bulls preferred open spaces. Most likely, the aurochs loved pastures, since their main food was various herbs. And only after being forced into the forests did the bulls begin to eat leaves of trees and shrubs, as well as acorns.

The last individuals of aurochs lived in swampy forests, since in open space they were even easier prey for hunters.

The Turs lived in small groups, but there were also those who preferred solitude. In winter, several groups united and formed a fairly large herd. Before calving, the females would go far into the forest and wait until the calf was strong enough to go to the field.

HUNT IS MORE THAN BONDAGE

The Turs that lived in different regions differed greatly from each other. North Africans were similar to Eurasians, but their color was lighter. The Indian subspecies was smaller in size. Judging by DNA tests, even aurochs from different parts of Europe had differences. However, this did not stop people from domesticating these animals 8,000 years ago. At first, this process had a purely ritual significance, then the aurochs began to be domesticated to be used as labor, and only some time later they began to be considered as a source of milk.

And then people. loved hunting. And it was because of hunting that the tours disappeared from the face of the earth. First, the North African ones disappeared, then the Mesopotamian ones... Soon the aurochs remained only in Central Europe, but due to deforestation in the Middle Ages and active hunting in the 15th century, wild bulls remained only in the modern territory, where they hid in inaccessible forests. At the end of the 16th century, they began to protect the aurochs, but it was too late. By that time they lived only near Warsaw, and their numbers were sharply declining. And by 1620, only one female remained alive, who died seven years later of natural causes. So the tours disappeared from the face of the earth.

Today, scientists are not giving up attempts to revive the population of these amazing animals. They are experimenting with those types of modern bulls that most closely resemble the ancient ones (in particular with Spanish and Italian species), but, alas, the attempts do not lead to the desired result.

HITLER'S FAILED PLAN

By the way, the Nazis faced a similar problem at one time. In the 1930s there was a project to restore the prehistoric landscape and its flora and fauna. Goering became the curator of the project, and the brothers Heinz and Lutz Heck worked on the revival of lost species. Lutz was the director of the Berlin Zoo, and Heinz was the director of the Munich Zoo. Long before Hitler came to power, the brothers began working on recreating the tur and forest tarpan. It took them about 14 years to bring out new tours. To create them, they took rather aggressive Spanish bulls and bison. Both of them underwent careful selection, because the new aurochs had to have a large body mass and long horns.

In 1932, a beast was born, which was called the “Heck bull,” but it was far from being a tour. The hake weighed only 600 kg, and the color was not the same. Perhaps the only thing that hake had in common with aurochs was aggressiveness, which was directed at absolutely everything: people, animals, trees.

For many years, the Heck bull could only be seen in the Munich and Berlin zoos. The breed's breeding program was so popular that the bred primitive bulls flourished and were used in Nazi propaganda materials during World War II. The Nazis dreamed of populating Belovezhskaya Pushcha with aurochs and hunting them for fun, but their plans could not be put into practice. The hake breeding center was destroyed by air strikes, and the animals that ran out were shot right in the streets, because they were very aggressive.

WORTHY OF CAESAR'S ATTENTION

Information about the ferocious tour is found in many manuscripts. In his Notes on the Gallic War, Julius Caesar did not forget to mention the aurochs, writing that they are smaller in size than elephants and are relatives of bulls.

He noted that the aurochs run fast and it is impossible to feel safe if these bulls are nearby.

Caesar believed that they could not be domesticated and that those who had collections of the horns of killed aurochs were highly respected.

FROM MYTHS AND LEGENDS

If you remember the ancient myths, it will become clear. That it was the auroch that was exalted by many civilizations, the bull was considered the embodiment of one or another god, mentions of it are found not only in the myths of the Mediterranean, but also in, including in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.

The cult of the bull was very developed in Crete and in. The Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians, says that the supreme deity created a bull and a man, who created the world while simultaneously fighting evil forces - in the end they destroyed the bull. In Crete, acrobats performed tricks in the same arena with bulls, which was associated with the cult of fertility. Moreover, the Cretan monster Minotaur was half bull. In ancient times, Zeus was associated with a bull: just remember the myth about the abduction of the beautiful Europa by Zeus. Among the Slavs, the bull, along with the bear, was associated with the god Veles.

In the black book of animals you can find many species that humans have destroyed through hunting, deforestation and pollution of the ecosystem. Each of these stories is unique and represents a horrific crime, but some of them are reminders of the confrontation between nature and humanity, as was the case with the primeval bull known as the aurochs.

This animal, which finally became extinct in 1627, is known as the ancestor of modern cattle.

Turs were destroyed for meat and fun until these proud and strong animals were on the verge of complete extinction, but even then, taking into account the laws on the protection of bulls, it was not possible to save the species.

Biological characteristics

The wild bull represented everything that the bullfighters from Spain valued in his “heirs.” It was a strong animal, reaching a height of 180 centimeters at the withers. The color of the aurochs bulls was predominantly dark, the wool was thick and very hard. Such a bull weighed over 800 kilograms and could knock down a person at full speed and literally trample him to death.

Comparative sizes of an adult tur and a human

A distinctive feature of the wild aurochs is the horns that are twisted and empty inside, as well as a peculiar stripe of light hair on the spine. In addition to meat, the extinct species of bulls was incredibly valuable due to these very horns and skins.

Habitat

Approximate map with the habitat of the tour

The tur lived primarily in the forest-steppe zone throughout Europe and most of Asia, including Mongolia, China, Turkey and India.

The main period during which the maximum concentration of these animals fell was the second half of the Anthropocene.

At a time when the number of bulls was not yet controlled and they were freely shot, aurochs roamed the steppe in huge herds. Later, groups of 6-10 individuals began to appear, and later even fewer.

Farming was the first reason for the gradual extinction of wild bulls. Cultivation of fields and forests forced animals to migrate until the last of them died of old age or disease.

200 years before the last round left this world, bulls inhabited only very remote, isolated wooded areas of Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. At that time, the aurochs were already protected by law, but the number of individuals was rapidly declining. By 1602, the number of bulls had decreased to 4 individuals, after which the complete extinction of the species was just a matter of time.

Death of the last bull

In 1627, the last tour died in a wooded area near the village of Yaktorovo, which is located in the Lviv region of Ukraine. The cause of the bull’s death was not hunting, since the population was already under the strictest protection, but from disease.

An unknown virus has affected the genotype of an isolated herd, the last one on Earth. The death of the tour served as a kind of sign for many animal rights activists around the world, even though this movement at that time was hardly in its infancy.

After this, attempts to revive the aurochs periodically appear in the world, which led to the emergence of several “hybrids,” including fighting bulls.

Jokes with genetics

The first known attempt to “resurrect” the tour was the experiments of Hitler, who dreamed of the history of restoring the most striking image of Teutonic mythology.

Brothers Heinz and Lutz Heck tried to develop aurochs by crossing three different breeds of livestock: French Camargue, as well as bulls from Corsica and Scotland.

The entire population of Heck bulls, which, by the way, had the appearance of an aurochs, but an easy-going disposition, was destroyed after the fall of the Nazi regime.

Later, experiments were carried out by civilian laboratories in Western Europe.

At the moment, the most successful artificial breeding of cattle remains the Watussi, which is common in Africa. The aurochs never migrated that far south, so this subspecies is significantly different from the “original.”

Why did the aurochs population die out?

There are two main versions of why the wild bull ceased to exist in its original form and became extinct.

Tur, as an animal accustomed to a certain type of territory, had a very hard time with the “humanization” of most wild lands. The gradual self-isolation of the aurochs led to the fact that the species became extinct, although it could assimilate with other breeds of livestock.

The second version is hunting. Bulls were not just desirable, but high-status prey, so every hunter considered it his duty to find and destroy such an animal. At the same time, the tour was not devoid of natural enemies, for example, large cats and wolves.

Coupled with a rather slow reproductive cycle and the lack of numerous offspring, this led to the extinction of bulls.

Who is the closest “relative” of the tour?

The Spanish fighting bull is closest to the phenotype of the European subspecies of the aurochs. The tur was a wild animal and practically could not be domesticated; such a character was extremely in demand in bullfighting, a Spanish bullfight.

In addition, several varieties of livestock in Europe have inherited certain genetic traits from the aurochs, such as curled horns. However, no animal has reached the same size or come close to reconstructing a complete biological picture of the subspecies.

The tour is depicted on the coat of arms of Moldova in memory of the lost species. Some zoologists claim that the aurochs may well have given rise to most of the current species of livestock, but were much tougher and stronger. This could be a significant advantage and even partially solve the problems of the meat and dairy industry. The death of the last round not only erased all traces of an entire species of animals, it again proved that the most terrible predator on Earth is man.

Cows and bulls have lived side by side with humans for many centuries, ever since wild representatives of this species were domesticated. However, none of the modern people think about what wild bulls looked like, where they lived and how they were tamed by humans. Of course, their build, appearance and disposition were seriously different from modern inhabitants of agricultural lands. Let's talk a little about what Tur was like - a bull that later became one of man's most useful friends.

It was the bull named “Tur” that became the ancestor of today’s cows. Unfortunately, today it is not possible to touch a representative of an ancient species or even look at it with your own eyes, since this primitive animal has long since become extinct. The last mention of the Turs living on planet Earth dates back to 1627. It was then that this valuable breed was finally destroyed by man.

Nevertheless, after the Turs there remained a large cow genus, which includes a huge number of breed varieties. There are also breeds that look like doubles of their horned ancestor:

• Indian bulls;
• Ukrainian large bulls;
• African bulls.

Looking at them, you can imagine all the beauty and power of the ancient bull of Tura.

Despite the fact that these animals became extinct many hundreds of years ago, today we have data about them, thanks to the collection of numerous historical information that helps restore the image of this animal.

By the way, the domestication of Tour bulls began even before our era. In those days, there were entire herds of these wild animals, which began to be hunted for meat.

Gradually, people became more developed, and the first farms appeared. However, selection and animal husbandry in general, as a science and direction of human activity, were in their infancy, so the Tur population was decreasing.

In addition, man destroyed nature, cutting down forests en masse, with the aim of:

• obtain building material for the construction of settlements, shipyards, ship construction, etc.;
• get fuel for furnaces;
• free up the area for agriculture, namely the cultivation of crops available to people at that time.

The bulls migrated from place to place when they lost their homes, however, the hunt for them continued, and the living conditions they found themselves in left much to be desired.

A year before the onset of the 17th century, residents of Warsaw recorded a single herd living in the outskirts of the city, numbering only 30 individuals. Initially, such herds could number several hundred bulls. After some time, only 4 animals remained in the same territory.

After 27 years, the death of the last representative of the breed was recorded. Such a sharp decrease in numbers was associated not only with hunting, but also with the fact that the bulls were deprived of their mandatory living conditions:

The animals began to get sick, and the loss of livestock began without human intervention.

Description of the breed

After the end of the Ice Age, bulls of the breed we are interested in became one of the largest ungulate representatives of the animal world. Today, only the European bison can boast of such a large and powerful body. Other descendants of the tour will not be able to compare with him.

Today we know the following information about the Tours.

Table 1. Information about the breed of bulls Tour

There were two main types of Tours:

• Indian;
• European.

By the way, Spanish bulls inherited the characteristic humps of the Turs and their unusually shaped horns, although they are no longer so long.

By the way, the udders of the females of the most ancient bull were not as developed as those of modern cows. In addition, it was practically unnoticeable from the side, since it was completely covered with fur.

Habitat and lifestyle of Tura

Initially, the bull of the Tur breed lived in large herds in the steppes. However, it was too easy for a human to kill him in the open. The animals realized this and tried to move to live in the forest, as well as mixed, forest-steppe zones.

Preference was given to swampy forests, where there was a lot of moisture and, accordingly, nutritious, succulent vegetation. The bulls lived the longest in Poland, where the death of the last representative of this breed was recorded.

Interest in hunting was fueled not only by the fact that not everyone could win the Tour, but also by the fact that the meat of one carcass could feed the inhabitants of an entire village.

As we have already said, bulls lived in large communities - herds, where their own orders existed:

When it became clear that the number of bulls had seriously decreased, many European countries issued a decree on their immunity. In addition, many peoples tried to breed Turs, but, unfortunately, due to their weak genetic inheritance, all attempts were never successful.

The only more or less successful breeding works were shown in Spain and Latin America, which were able to preserve part of the breed’s genotype.

The Heck Bull is one of the closest descendants of the Turs that exist today

They still raise bulls that look like Turov, however, their body parameters are much more modest:

• the maximum weight of these individuals does not exceed 500 kilograms;
• growth reaches only 155 centimeters.

As for the character of Turov, he was mostly calm. But when the animal had to defend itself, it became furious, and then the opponents had to be afraid of them and run away as quickly as possible.

Tour diet

Like any other bulls on the planet, Tur was a herbivore. At the same time, he could consume all the plant products that nature provided:

• grass;
• young tree branches;
• foliage of trees and shrubs.

In the summer they usually made do with grass in the steppes, but in the winter they preferred to live in the forest so that they would have something to eat.

In winter, even existing separately bull groups and individuals tried to stay close to the herd. Due to the destruction of forests, every winter the Turs became more and more hungry, and a significant part of the population of these animals died precisely for this reason.

People noticed this problem, and again, in civilized countries they tried to correct the situation. It is known about the existence of positions that formed a kind of ancient supervision services in the field of environmental management. Thus, their task included the following activities:

• control of the number of bulls and the health of herds;
• monitoring the situation in forests;
• regulation of deforestation.

Some peasant farming settlements received orders to collect hay, which they now had to prepare not only for their own livestock, but also for the Turs. They had to take the harvested hay to the forest and leave it there so that the bulls could consume it and somehow cope with hunger.

How did Turov reproduce?

Traditional mating games among the Turs began at the beginning of autumn, its first months, when the warmth had not yet gone away.

The order of mating games was as follows:

• males determined the most attractive female for themselves;
• figured out the opponent;
• fought with each other for life and death.

Interestingly, the last statement is not at all artistic, but literal, since death is a completely expected result of a mating battle. In this way, the surviving male proved that he was the alpha representative of the herd, and was worthy to continue his lineage.

These ancient cows usually calved in the spring, around May. Tura females, like today's cows, began to hide before calving and retreated into the most impenetrable wilds of the forests. It was there that small calves were born, who for about 3 weeks saw only their mother, as she hid the newborn from predators and enemies, including humans.

It also happened that calving occurred in September if the animals were mated later than usual. The reasons for this delay are unknown, however, the state of health of the Turs and their initial strength allowed mothers to bear fruits even in the hot summer.

Sometimes male Turs, encountering domesticated cattle, could also cover local females. From such matings weak hybrids were born, which, unfortunately, quickly died at a young age.

Let's sum it up

Tur is a bull that is the ancestor of all cows and bulls existing in the world today. Unfortunately, representatives of this species have long been no longer found on the planet. Today, livestock breeders from many countries are working to recreate this breed, or at least a variety close to it.

Video – Tour Bull