Hoofprints
		The Aurochs
		By Mark Walker
	The Aurochs were the ancestors of cattle. After the ice age they lived in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. They were hunted by man and there numbers declined steadily. In Europe the Aurochs survived longest in Poland and in Lithuania, because of the large undisturbed forests found there.
	By the end of the 16th century only a small herd of Aurochs survived near to Warsaw, and in 1627 the last Auroch in Europe died. Although they survived longer in Asia, they became extinct there about a hundred years later. All domestic cattle originate from Auroch, but no wild type now survives. They were much larger than today’s cattle and had a darker colour. The males were much larger than the females and had very long curving horns. The females were lighter in colour, with shorter horns. They weighed between 600 and 1000 kilograms. Little is known about the behaviour and lifestyle of Aurochs but they probably lived in small groups, under the leadership of a single individual. They would probably mate in autumn, and had a gestation period the same length as cattle of about 9 months. Although the Aurochs became extinct, attempts were made in the early 20th century to breed a herd of Aurochs using primitive races of cattle such as Highland Cattle. This was partially successful and produced animals which appeared similar in appearance as the original Aurochs.