The Betizu is a breed of small mountain

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

which live in a

semi-feral A semi-feral animal lives predominantly in a feral state but has some contact and experience with humans. This may be because it was born in a domesticated state and then reverted to life in wild conditions, or it may be an animal that grew up i ...

state in some mountainous parts of the Basque Country in both Basque Country and France. It is classified as an

endangered breed In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation statu ...

by both the

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ( es, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, MAPA), is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for proposing and carrying out the government policy on agricultural, livesto ...

, the agriculture ministry of Spain, and by the Conservatoire des Races d'Aquitaine in France. It is one of a small number of semi-feral cattle populations in Europe, with the Albera of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, the Monchina of

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the ea ...

, and the Raço di Biòu of the

Camargue Camargue (, also , , ; oc, label=Provençal, Camarga) is a region of France located south of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône delta. The eastern arm is called the ''Grand Rhône''; the western one is the ...

History

The origins of the Betizu are unknown. The name derives from the eu, behi izua, "elusive cow", and distinguishes it from the or "house cow". It appears in

Basque mythology The mythology of the ancient Basques largely did not survive the arrival of Christianity in the Basque Country between the 4th and 12th century AD. Most of what is known about elements of this original belief system is based on the analysis of ...

as Zezengorri ("red bull"), guardian of the treasure of the goddess Mari. The Betizu is sometimes believed to be the remnant of an ancient Pyrenean cattle population adapted to survive in marginal mountain terrain; or it may derive from animals lost or escaped during the annual

transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower va ...

. The betizu has also been known by different authors and in different locations as the "vaca del país", "casta navarra" and "raza vasca".

José Miguel de Barandiarán eu, Jose Miguel Barandiaran Aierbe, es, José Miguel de Barandiarán y Ayerbe known as and eu, Aita Barandiaran, lit=Father Barandiaran, label =none (31 December 1889 – 21 December 1991), was a Basque anthropologist, ethnographer, and ...

has referred to it as the "vaca huraña". In 2013 the breed population in

Navarra Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

was estimated at 254, while the number in

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Januar ...

was put at less than 150.

Navarre reserve

The Government of

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

has launched a project to conserve this autochthonous breed. They own a herd that inhabits the abandoned village of Sastoya, in the

Urraúl Alto Urraúl Alto ( Basque: ''Urraulgoiti'') is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonad ...

valley. The stated goal of the project is to protect and expand this breed. The Sastoya village encompasses more than , of which are grasslands. It is inside the area of Ecological Production and is property of the Government of Navarra. It is managed by their Environment Department. The facility includes several warehouses to manage the livestock. The Sastoya reservation houses about 45 animals. Reservation workers limit their contact with the animals in order to preserve their wild nature.

References

{{Basque animal breeds Cattle breeds originating in Spain Cattle breeds originating in France Cattle breeds Basque domestic animal breeds