Other events in Baltic States

Several of the Taurus cattle which are currently roaming the Kemeri National Park in central Latvia will be sent to Ukraine and Belarus to help maintain natural grasslands in these countries, LETA was told at the Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia.

The herds of Tauris cattle and wild horses have been grazing natural grasslands at the national park’s Dunduri meadows for nearly a decade already, but since the number of these animals has soared in recent years, the pastures have become too small for the growing heard.

It has therefore been decided to send several dozen of the Taurus cattle to Ukraine and Belarus this spring.

The heard in Kemeri originates from 15 bovine animals, descendants of the aurochs, or the wild ancestors of domestic cattle, which were brought to Latvia from Belgium. Also, ten horses of the Polish Konik breed arrived in Kemeri from the Pape Nature Park. By now, the herd of large grass-grazing animals has grown to more than 120 heads and the Dunduri and Melnragi meadows have become too small to sustain them.

Latvia will therefore send eight Taurus cattle to Ukraine and 25 to Belarus to help with the maintenance of natural grasslands in these countries.