The Castilian Morucha cattle were saved from extinction thanks to livestock breeder Eloy Vaquero and other local farmers in Salamanca.

The likeable, down-to-earth livestock breeder Eloy Vaquero can only smile at the horned-cattle initiative that was voted on in Switzerland at the end of last year. For the breeder, who has been raising Morucha cattle for four generations, the question of whether cattle are allowed to have horns is hard to comprehend. “My animals,” Eloy says proudly during our visit, “are free living beings!” He would never interfere with the nature of any of his animals. Around 200 animals live here; they are considered robust, shy, and strong-willed. Not least because they are allowed to live freely here on around 800 hectares in natural suckler-cow husbandry. They feed exclusively on grass, hay, and grain. They give birth to their calves alone in the wild, without veterinarians or humans. And when, after about half an hour’s drive, we finally discover the first herd, we become aware of the magic of this sustainable, authentic form of cattle breeding: the muscular yet slender animals with their beautiful silver-gray coats and long, curved horns look almost like a herd of wildebeest. Proud and archaic, they briefly glance in our direction from afar. Then they scatter and run off as a herd, disappearing behind a rock. It smells of earth, thyme, fresh air. We watch in awe and ask ourselves for a brief moment: is this really Salamanca—or the Serengeti?

Breed: Morucha
Slaughter Age: 12 months
Feeding: Gras, hay, herbs and grain
Aeging: 3 weeks dry aged