Gyr cattle

Gir
a red-mottled white bull with very long drooping ears
Bull at Bhavnagar
Conservation statusFAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 144 
Other names
  • Gyr
  • Bhodali
  • Desan
  • Gujarati
  • Kathiawari
  • Sorthi
  • Surti[2]: 187 
Country of originIndia
Distribution
Usedairy
  • Cattle
  • Bos (primigenius) indicus
Cow
Gyr cattle in Brazil

The Gir or Gyr is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It originated in the Kathiawar peninsula in the state of Gujarat, and the name of the breed derives from that of the Gir Hills in that region.[2]: 187  Other names include Bhodah, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi and Surti.[2]: 187 

These cattle were exported to Brazil from the early twentieth century, and the Brazilian Gir numbers about five million head; selective breeding since the 1960s has led to the development of separate dairy (Gir Leiteiro) and beef strains.[2]: 187 

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