Cows Left on a Deserted Island – the Result Was Unexpected
On the subantarctic Enderby Island, nine cows were brought in the late 19th century, but by 1910 the project was abandoned. For over 80 years, the animals survived in isolation, forming a hardy population. In 1991, a culling operation began, but in 1992-1993 a surviving cow named Lady was found and evacuated. Thanks to a breeding program and cloning, the breed was preserved and recognized as one of the rarest in the world.
On the remote subantarctic Enderby Island in the Auckland Archipelago, nine head of cattle were introduced in the late 19th century for agricultural purposes. By 1910, the project was abandoned, and the animals were left to fend for themselves. For over eighty years, the cows survived in complete isolation, feeding on local vegetation and seaweed. Over decades of harsh climate, a unique hardy population formed: the herd size first grew to a hundred individuals, then stabilized at between thirty-five and sixty animals. In the 1980s, ecologists drew attention to the damage the livestock was causing to the fragile ecosystem, home to rare plants and sea lions. The New Zealand Department of Conservation decided to completely eradicate the introduced animals, and in 1991 a large-scale culling operation began. However, in 1992 and 1993, conservationists discovered a surviving cow named Lady with a calf. The calf soon died, but Lady was evacuated to the New Zealand coast, where a breeding program began. Through selective breeding, a purebred bull named Derby was obtained, and in 1998 and 1999, scientists cloned a heifer named Elsie and other descendants. The removal of the herd allowed the ecosystem to recover, and the Enderby breed is recognized as one of the rarest and most valuable in the world.