Wild Cattle of Chillingham

This book meets a need for a definitive monograph of one of the most significant icons of British natural history, and adopts a novel approach by placing original research in an up-to-date multidisciplinary context. As they are the only accessible cattle worldwide that live under conditions of minimal human interference, the Chillingham herd is uniquely placed to provide insights into many aspects of the life of cattle as a species rather than as a component of livestock systems. The biology of the herd and of its habitat is considered from the viewpoints of plant and animal ecology, animal behaviour, genetics and reproductive physiology, and the insights for archaeology, human geography, and cultural studies are demonstrated. The text is accessible to advanced undergraduate students and specialist research workers in all of these disciplines. Practitioners and policy makers in rural affairs, especially in such matters as rewilding, maintenance of traditional and high-nature-value landscapes, and conservation of animal genetic resources will also benefit. Attitudes towards cattle generally are in a state of flux owing to the necessity for mitigation of global climate warming, and a better understanding of the Chillingham herd in their ancient landscape will contribute to equitable and sustainable policies in relation to global cattle husbandry.