Watchlist
Cattle
Chillingham
Watchlist; Category 1, Critical.
The Chillingham cattle are a unique herd which was part of the White Park breed until the beginning of the twentieth century, but now is recognised as a separate type. Their isolation within Chillingham Park since the 13th century means that they now receive minimal management and have very little contact with humans on the 135 hectares of the Park.
The herd has always been small, reaching its most critical state in 1947 when only 13 animals survived the severe winter that year. In order to safeguard the breed against future disaster a reserve unit of the cattle has been established at a secret location in Scotland.
These cattle are primitive looking animals. They are white in colour with lightly marked red points with a dense winter coat. Females tend to have faint red markings on the face and neck, while those of the males tend to be grey in colour. The adult cows are small, weighing only 280kg on average, with upright lyre-shaped horns. They tend to be late maturing and are often four years of age before they rear a calf. Males are mature at 18 – 20 months but often do not mate until they are around four years of age. Neither gender lives long; females may reach 17 years of age but the males only 13.