A project has been launched to reintroduce aurochs to the UK almost four centuries after its extinction in Europe.

Trees for Life are looking to bring the first introduction to the UK of a breed of huge wild cattle called tauros to Dundreggan estate near Loch Ness.

Aurochs are the wild ancestor of all domestic cattle but the breed went extinct when the last of them died in Poland in 1627, and they aren’t believed to have existed in the UK for more than 3,000 years.

The muscular, long-horned tauros have been bred to be as close as possible to the ancient aurochs, which was a mega-herbivore that played a vital role in shaping landscapes and boosting biodiversity across Europe.

The rewilding charity now aims to introduce a herd of up to 15 tauros from the Netherlands to its 4,000-hectare Dundreggan estate near Loch Ness in 2026, in a scientific research project to boost biodiversity and create opportunities for people, including education and eco-tourism.

Steve Micklewright, Chief Executive of Trees for Life, said: “Introducing the aurochs-like tauros to the Highlands four centuries after their wild ancestors were driven to extinction will refill a vital but empty ecological niche – allowing us to study how these remarkable wild cattle can be a powerful ally for tackling the nature and climate emergencies.

“Our Tauros Project is about looking forwards while learning from the past as we restore nature-rich landscapes that support wildlife and people, and are resilient to future environmental challenges.

“We also want to give people the chance to experience in a safe way the awe and wonder of getting close to an animal that feels really wild.”

Aurochs have been extinct for 400 yearsAurochs have been extinct for 400 years (Image: Staffan Widstrand / Rewilding Europe)

Aurochs have been depicted in petroglyphs of the Côa Valley, dating back 30,000 years, and previously roamed much of Europe as a keystone species.

They were one of Europe’s largest land mammals – and the heaviest after the wooly mammoth and wooly rhinoceros – but they disappeared from the UK around 1300 BC. They later became globally extinct due through habitat loss and hunting but the DNA has survived in a number of a ancient original cattle breeds.

Tauros, though, have been ‘back-bred’ to genetically replicate, resemble and behave as closely as possible to aurochs.

Scientists in the Netherlands have been seeking to bring aurochs back to life since the early 2000s by interbreeding ancient cattle breeds that are genetically and physically closest to the originals.

This has been aided by the first sequencing of the aurochs’ complete genome in 2011.

Tauros has no equivalent among other breeds, and they reach a similar size to aurochs with bulls up to 180cm and cows 150cm while being able to live in a range of conditions, with minimal human intervention.

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Research has shown that the modern-day successors to the aurochs can help create exceptionally rich habitats for wildlife through their size and behaviour, being bigger and more active than other cattle while interacting with their environment more dramatically.

Although they will be being brought back into the UK for the first time, there are already several hundred across mainland Europe including in The Netherlands, Czechia, Croatia, Spain and Portugal.

They are a social breed and one ‘game-changer’ when it comes to tauros’ creation of ‘bullpits’, which are bowls in the earth carved out by rutting bulls using their horns and hooves, or through their neck muscles by bashing their heads from side to side.

Bullpits then form micro-habitats that support invertebrates, small mammals and birds, and allow pioneer plant species to establish.

Their dung  also helps ensure healthy soils and supports invertebrates, which are then eaten by birds, small mammals and reptiles.

They aren’t risk-free for people but they can coexist safely with tauros given appropriate precautions, public education and good herd-management. They’re also known for being placid towards people.

They can be legally imported to Britain because they can be legally imported, with Trees for Life intending to release the small herd in a way they can behave as natural as possible, and that balances rewilding benefits with conversation of recovering ecosystems.

The five-year project will strictly adhere to the legal and animal welfare requirements of keeping cattle. The tauros will be treated as farm animals but live as wild a life as possible. Signage and safety protocols will allow people to encounter them in a managed way. 

The release will follow a further year of project development, including research, detailed habitat assessments, and securing full funding.