The Preservation of Autochthonous Breeds of Domestic Animals in Bulgaria
Jordan Danchev
Overview
Have sufficient measures been taken to preserve - and is the general public around the world aware of the importance of - the traditional local breeds of domestic animals? At first glance, these might not appear to be very necessary or urgent questions. Do we really need to preserve the aboriginal species that accompanied our forefathers during the Stone Age? How can these animals, with their haggard appearance, compare with their smooth and well fed heirs in modern animal husbandry? Few people are aware of the truth in this matter.
This paper seeks to interpret in understandable language the real reasons and qualities that make preservation of the local breeds of domestic animals so urgent. It aims to turn the readers' attention to this priceless biological resource, and to explain how our contemporaries continue to be neglectful of this resource, filling the pastures of the world with several elite breeds and reducing the natural habitats of the aboriginal breeds.
Everyone, and in particular the wealthy countries and people, must be convinced that the future rests on this reserve of genetic and species diversity. These breeds must find a place in real life, and not merely be preserved in refrigerated conditions and in small feeble populations. Conditions of passive conservation must be transformed to ensure their active use and self-preservation.
Introduction
The friendship between Homo sapiens and some of our quadruped co-inhabitants of the planet Earth began long ago, at the dawn of the Mesolithic era, and proved to be a very important step in mankind's development. The domestication and taming of wild breeds was a monumental development, equal only to the discovery of fire, and marked the boundary between the old and middle stages of the Stone Age. For over fifteen millennia domestic animals have been faithful companions and helpers of humankind. They have provided food, milk, and meat. Their warm hides have offered protection from the winter cold. They have become a part of daily life. They have been faithful assistants in the struggle to grow a handful of grain, and during the long exhausting marches to conquer new lands. Without them the success of human culture would have been unimaginable.
Domesticated and tamed in different regions of the world over thousands of years, the various populations of animals have adapted themselves exceptionally well to climatic, organic, topographic, and other conditions and individual characteristics in these regions. In this way, almost unnoticed, and under the constant influence of man, the primitive local breeds of domestic animals were created.
Today, unfortunately, these local autochthonous (i.e., indigenous) breeds are leaving their habitats just as imperceptibly, and are disappearing forever. This process can be observed all over the world. In the developed countries, local breeds, if they have not yet disappeared, have become scarce. Many other countries seem to be moving in this direction. trend. Despite growing awareness of the need to preserve aboriginal species, the workings of primary economic principles are forcing livestock raisers to adopt highly selected and "productive" hybrids.
The Significance of Autochthonous Forms of Domestic Animals
1. Conservation of genetic and species diversity.
All growth and development involves the overcoming of difficulties, which if not taken into account can ultimately cause restriction and failure. The question to be asked is: how long can the domestic animal survive? Is it not time to put an end to the mad rush for over-production? Are we not already close to the limits of genetic engineering of some particular species, and is there not in the unstoppable rush for over-production a danger of destroying organisms? The thoughts of Commoner (1972) on the development of industrial-style agriculture are still valid for all animal rearing: "All production, both industrial and agricultural, should be reorganized to turn away from more and more production, dictated by desires for more profit, and should adopt ecological requirements as its basis."
Carried away by the desire for genetic perfection, the modern master of domesticated species has begun to receive the first danger signals. The "subjects" have begun to suffer from new unknown diseases and are not protected against common ailments, from which indigenous species almost never suffer. The process of reproduction is not always successful; for this reason it is frequently necessary to discard highly selected and expensive types. Animals adapt with difficulty to local ecological circumstances. This often proves fatal during the acclimatization of highly productive breeds to new geographic conditions. Cultivated species usually rely on food resources provided by man and are particularly sensitive to terrain and pasture conditions. Intensive breeding, combined with stationary feeding and limited movement, creates conditions for low quality production in terms of taste and hygiene. Apart from this, high quality production requires maintenance of a well balanced and high quality diet. There are many countries in the world where this is not possible.
The exhaustion and erosion of many modern breeds is already evident and sooner or later it can be expected to worsen. It is becoming more and more clear that the "new, fresh blood" of the indigenous species is required to halt this process. The possible limitations of selection (selection plateau) need to be overcome, but unfortunately such conclusions are not yet common knowledge among ordinary farmers, whose main aim is to increase production. In this manner, conditions are created for the loss of the genetic and species diversity of indigenous breeds and their irreversible removal from the natural evolutionary chain, in which indigenous breeds occupy a strategic position between their wild relatives and their modern, highly productive counterparts.
What in fact are we losing? First of all, their high level of vitality, demonstrated in their excellent adaptability to local ecological conditions, their high degree of resistance to disease, their reproductive success (including the complete survival of offspring), their absolute suitability to breeding conditions, and their accommodation to different types of feed. As the fruit of the eternal harmony within nature, they are very hardy, with well developed and proportioned bodies and lively temperaments. Apart from their role in solving present day problems, the living "genetic bank" of indigenous forms of domestic animals has a particular strategic role in meeting the inevitable and unpredictable requirements of the future. These forms will certainly be important in terms of production of high quality food, use of non-traditional feedstuffs in husbandry, adaptation to changing environmental conditions, inherited resistance to new diseases, food production in extreme conditions, and other factors affecting the future of agriculture.
2. Development of resistance and the use of ecological methods in producing food resources and other raw materials.
The population crisis awaiting our planet, however optimistically one approaches it, cannot be ignored. It is difficult, even impossible, to foresee all the vicissitudes of the future, but when all is said and done a planet of finite dimensions can be home only to a finite number of people. At the moment there is enough room, and until recently no one has specified what the maximum human population might be. But as the world fills up with people, their first requirement - for food - remains. The statistics of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are indisputable. In 1980 mankind's total protein require-ment was approximately 4.2 million tons. Only twenty years later, by the year 2000, this figure will have risen by 50%.
The attractive alternatives of plankton soup and seaweed steaks are still perhaps a long way off for our generation, but we have already seen sausages and other foods made of soya and other substitutes for natural meat. Does this mean that the human race is being prepared for the unenviable fate of vegetarianism? Amino acids are found in their best combinations in meat. The great culinary qualities of this irreplaceable product are reflected in thousands of different recipes all over the world. It would be difficult to imagine the existence of the human race without this priceless gift of nature.
At the end of the day, what is the nature of the problem? Too many people? Too many animals? Too much meat? Do we not have sufficient modern breeds at hand? All we have to do is to decide. High production of large numbers of animals requires stable feeding, mainly with grain. Purely and simply, the growing number of modern animals are beginning to compete for food with the growing population of the planet, and in the future this competition will increase progressively. More of the cultured breeds of domestic animals are indeed reared in a confined environment; those that do go out to graze are becoming more and more choosy in terms of their pasture requirements. Consequently, any increase in the number of ani-mals of modern breeds will lead to an increase in their requirement for grain, which could in turn cause famine within the human population.
At the same time, the extensive mountain, semi-mountainous, forest, and other pasture lands, which in the past were inhabited by many animals, are becoming overgrown with weeds. The organic proteins that were formerly transformed by domestic animals into valuable animal produce now lay covered with snow and rot uselessly. This gives food for thought. Would it not be possible to link the increase in numbers of cattle to the pasture land for which man has no particular nutritional use - for example, the hard grasses (e.g., Nardus stricta) that are found in all the high mountain pastures and that are not accessible to the cultured breeds?
This gives rise to another question: to what type of animal could we turn? There is only one answer: the indigenous forms of domestic animals and hybrids produced by cross-breeding. This is where modern man should turn his attention - toward the selection of animals that are well adapted to natural pastures, to zones unsuitable for traditional agriculture, and to the use of the nutritional potential that is not in competition with human needs.
In contrast with modern cultured species, the primitive forms of domestic animals are adapted to use coarse forages of low nutritional value, and to use pasture resources more completely. In this respect, they are closer to their wild relatives. That which cows do not eat, the sheep will gather; and that which is of no interest to either is of great interest to pigs.
From an ecological point of view, an important precondition for pastoral husbandry is that the number of animals should correspond to the carrying capacity of the pasture, in order to avoid exhaustion and erosion of the pasture lands and competition with wild species. Today, however, instead of intensive grazing we are more likely to speak of intensive weed growth. The reduction in the number of sheep is beginning to worry ecologists. In this case, we are concerned not so much with the decline of sheep products, but with the significance of sheep for the protection of pasture and grazing land from undesirable changes.
However strange it may seem, only sheep are capable of taking action against such phytocenotic changes. These four-legged lawnmowers are much more efficient than any machine, do not require petrol, require hardly any maintenance, and work completely automatically from morning until night - including Sundays and other holidays. The action of sheep hooves, as well as their excrement, is of significance for the vegetation by softening and fertilizing the soil. This can indisputably enrich and regenerate degraded ecosystems.
Often the opposite is true: when we cordon off an area of mountain pasture, then the pasture can be destroyed. It has often been observed that as some grass types begin to dominate, others disappear, and new ones appear. The composition of the flora changes and becomes atypical for the locality. A typical example is the diversity of grasses in the forest regions of our country, where we face a particular dilemma. What status should be given to refugia and species centers of origin? If these are granted the status of reserves and protected areas, then this will eventually mean growth toward a climax community. In many cases the forest's natural community will become established in the area of the grass phytocenosis, and the genetic variety of endemic flora may be lost. The solution would be to maintain a definite regime of forest management or some other form of intervention - moderate grazing or mowing and cutting, which would guarantee humidity and light conditions.
From time immemorial one of the most important applications of the domestic animal has been to provide food for man. The domestication of some varieties of wild animals - or, to be more precise, the herding of them to areas with more reliable food supplies - caused a demographic explosion during the Neolithic. In the course of just one millennium, the human population of the earth increased more than 16 times, from approximately 5 million to 80 million.
It is completely natural that from then until now domestic animals have come a long way along the path of development, both in morphological and in physical terms, as well as in their relation to the quantitative and qualitative criteria of their productivity. However, many of the productive qualities of the local species of domestic animals are even now of interest and, moreover, allow them to compete favorably under modern husbandry conditions. The meat and milk of these animals is valued more highly, and in the future will be even more valuable, because of their excellent nutritional, taste, and hygienic qualities.
It is well known that the feed for these animals consists mainly of grass from pasture land, and that they rarely need to be given additional feed. Their typical habitat includes mountainous and semi-mountainous regions, where anthropogenic activity is as a rule less prevalent, the air and water are less polluted, and existing pollution is usually less below permissible limits. Thus, the people who consume products from these animals, as the last link in a given ecological chain, will receive less (or perhaps no) carcinogenic or radioactive agents, heavy metals, and other modern poisons. In fact, the environmentally conscious methods under which they are reared guarantee high quality products.
Buffalo milk in Bulgaria is recommended as a disease preventive, and is prescribed in the case of certain specific ailments that are difficult to treat (e.g., leukemia, cancers, and bowel disorders). Goats' milk is a wonderful substitute for human breast milk; because it is richer than other milk and is easily digested and assimilated by the human organism, it is given to small children and the sick. Sheep and buffalo milk are used in the production of high quality, full fat milk products, which also have high dietary and medical value. Researchers have proven a link between the rich and unique composition of the amino acids of milk from local cows in the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria and the longevity of the local people. The milk from the local breeds of sheep is still processed in old dairies situated in the mountains. Not only are their special milk products unknown in the modern commercial milk industry, but the dairies themselves and the life around them are unique historical attractions. It is not difficult to see why the meat from these animals is preferred. The ways in which it is used locally are not only valuable as culinary achievements, but as colorful parts of the local folklore. It is hardly necessary to speak about the attractive qualities of all these various products, which reflect the primacy and the strength of nature.
One of the basic products of sheep is wool. The quality and quantity of wool from local breeds is significantly lower than that of the fine-fleeced specialized wool breeds. The value of the wool from local breeds is always, however, greater than that of wool from the highly selected breeds. Other qualities of the wool of the local sheep also are of interest. Recently the world wool market has taken a sharp and unexpected turn, moving away from the merinos and toward the primary, coarse, and natural fleece of their primitive relations. Some people insist that this is purely a fashion trend, while others believe it to be connected to the boom in the production of artificial wool by the chemical industry. Perhaps the reason lies in the natural and lasting colors of natural wool and the economy in the use of dies.
Despite this shift, the sale of coarse and semi-coarse naturally pigmented wool on international markets is limited. While some countries with advanced husbandry do not have the ability to create fashionable colors, since the local breeds of sheep have long been forgotten, countries where the indigenous breeds still exist have at their disposal a wide range of colors. For example, there are about twenty local breeds of sheep in Bulgaria, and the natural coloration of their wool varies from pure white to reddish brown to black. Because wool from these animals has long and well formed fibers, it is used by craftsmen in the production of blankets and rugs of great artistic value. The local animal breeds are also a good source of strong and long-lasting hides for the leather industry.
The splendor and the strength of the wild ox has for centuries tantalized the eye of man. The acute need for a powerful helper forced our forefathers into a desperate struggle with this horned beast. Man won this struggle. For millennia this powerful beast unceasingly toiled before the plow and the cart, providing man with bread and prosperity. Man made friends with the horse much later than with other domestic animals, in all probability for culinary needs. This led to the horse assuming an enormous role in history, mainly as a means of transport and as part of the workforce. A similar fate befell the black buffalo of the Asian marshlands. Its tractive strength did not escape the attention of our forefathers.
The technical genius of the same men managed to break the monopoly of domestic animals in agricultural work, transport, and communications. Only vestiges remain today of the past hegemony of these domestic animals. Despite this, in certain regions of the world - especially in mountainous areas and in the lesser developed countries - the heirs to the ox, horse, and buffalo continue to be irreplaceable assistants in the work of the farmer. It goes without saying that these are typical representatives of the indigenous domestic fauna, which are used not only for their primary products but also for work. Today practically no one would predict the return of the plow and the cart, but the exhaustibility and the increase in the price of modern sources of energy is forcing many poor people in the world to look backwards.
When speaking about indigenous forms of domestic animals and their significance, it would be wrong to ignore their role in the creation of rituals in mankind's daily life. To the rich palette of human existence the aboriginal animals have added and continue to add many nuances and primary colors. Their disappearance would deprive civilization of its natural diversity.
3. Knowledge of evolution, domestication, and natural and artificial selection.
From time immemorial, humanity has been inseparably linked with various species of domestic animals. There is no doubt that this is why many archaeologists have for over a century tried to obtain information about the daily life and culture of ancient peoples by identifying the retrievable bone matter of animal origin. At the same time, man's curiosity rose with regard to the mystical origins of his eternal companions, the domestic animals. This in its turn gave rise to the study of the history of domestic animals. In a relatively short period of time, scientific activity in this area has won support. As a result, various theories and hypotheses have been propounded about the possible forebears of both the ancient animals and the modern representatives of primitive domestic fauna, and about the time, place, and conditions of their domestication.
Despite the tireless work of many researchers over a period of more than one hundred years, there are still many interesting unresolved questions concerning the taming and domestication of wild animals and subsequent domestic forms. The primary factors that drove man at the end of the Stone Age into his unequal struggle with ferocious wild animals are still unexplained. Did they have a social, economic, or ritual significance? Which species of animal dominated? Was man at that time herbivorous or omnivorous? Was it hunger or religious fanaticism that drove him to overcome his fear and instinct for self-protection and to enter into hand-to-hand combat with the wild beasts? Many scientists believe that the main reason was food. Why then did man begin the process of domesticating the dog? Can we really believe that the wolf or the jackal were the most harmless and vulnerable neighbors of our forefathers? If mankind was ruled by culinary needs and relied on large quantities of meat, then obviously neither the taste nor the quantity would have been the primary reason.
The dispute over the historical priority of crop agriculture or animal husbandry has been carried on for over a century. The currently prevailing opinion is that animals were domesticated only when there was the possibility of providing minimal quantities of food. Consequently we can presume that agriculture came first, i.e. that human life was already established in settlements. This begs the question of how the nomadic way of life evolved and persisted - a question that clearly remains. Despite advances in archaeological dating, it is still impossible to answer with complete certainty the questions of where, when, and how the various domestic animals appeared. If we are certain that the domestication of certain species began in Central Asia, we might not regard seriously the archaeological discovery of new centers of breed formation in Africa or Europe in the future. Such a discovery would direct questions in a completely different direction.
But in paleontology we still cannot distinguish with complete certainty the bone matter of domesticated animals from that of wild animals. One of the methods is to classify bones according to size. For example, in the case of the cow, bones that fit within certain limits can be identified as belonging to the wild ox (Bos primigenius); all smaller bones are considered to belong to domestic cattle. This would be very simple if researchers had not also discovered bones of the ancestral domestic cattle - the short-horned long-headed domestic cattle of the Brachyceros and Longifrons breeds. Moreover, there is authentic evidence of their survival to the present day (as with, for example, the Brachyceric cattle in Georgia, the Rhodope Mountains, and elsewhere). Scientists who initially believed in a single lineage in the origin of domestic cattle have been obliged to admit the possibility of multiple lineages. Some researchers presume that the Brachyceric cattle originate from a more ancient wild ox, which in all probability was a close relative of Bos Primigenius. If this is the case, then we inevitably arrive at a dilemma: how do we differentiate the bones of the mini-wild ox from those of the domestic cattle? The bone matter of both is classified as smaller than that of Bos Primigenius.
This scientific research has contributed to the development of archaeology. For example, the transition from (or boundary between) the Paleolithic and the Mesolithic in archaeology has been identified as the beginning of domestication - that altruistic act through which our forefathers, by subjecting the surrounding wild animals to their will, achieved one of the greatest feats in cultural development.
Therefore, one more reason exists for the preservation of indigenous breeds of domestic animals: their significance as authentic material, whose place in archaeology and the history of domestication is irreplaceable. Society cannot allow the destruction of these unique domestic breeds, created by nature and man over the millennia and left to our care and protection. We preserve ancient monuments and works of art, but allow ourselves such uncaring attitudes toward these antique artifacts, which are some of the few remaining items of material evidence of the skill and nobility of our forefathers. We all love our history. Who would not want to know more about our forefathers, their daily life, culture, enemies, and friends? Who would not like to delve into a past enshrouded in mystery? Are we then entitled to treat these witnesses to the past, still living here and there around the world, so carelessly?
The preservation of local forms of domestic animals has another ecological aspect. In zoological systems the concept of breed does not have a taxonomic significance, but is closely connected with the concept of zoological species. There is a very close link between the concept of breed and the taxonomic unit of subspecies (into which some researchers place them). In the case of both wild and domestic animals, geographical variety can lead to a mul-titude of forms within one and the same zoological species as a result of selection. In the case of wild forms, this is termed natural selection; in the case of primitive breeds, both natural and artificial selection; and in the case of the cultured breeds, artificial selection. This is why, when we preserve indigenous breeds of domestic animals that are threatened with extinction, we are in fact preserving threatened subspecies of a wild species.
This is also important in terms of the preservation of these ancestral animals. Some of the wild forefathers of the domestic animal species have disappeared. Others have found their place in the various categories of the red data books of endangered species. Up until now attempts to restore these extinct species have always begun with the most primitive forms of the relevant breed of the domestic species.
Despite its relatively small territory, Bulgaria possesses among its large mammals a rich diversity of autochthonous domestic breeds. There are a total of thirty-seven: three breeds of cattle, one breed of ox, twenty breeds of sheep, one breed of goat, three breeds of pig, six breeds of horses, and three breeds of dog.
1. Cattle and Ox
Within Bulgaria there are three recognized forms of domestic cattle: the Local Grey and its offshoot the Iskar-Grey, selected mainly for productivity, and the Rhodope Shorthorn. As is well known, the Rhodope breed is a representative of the brachyceros type of cattle, and the Grey is a result of prolonged cross-breeding between the brachyceros type and a primigenius type. This cross-breeding has taken place with varying degrees of intensity and continuity in different places in Bulgaria, the result of which, in the recent past, has been a rich diversity of combinations. It has been established that in regions lower on the mountains, where forage conditions are better, larger and more productive primigenius types are predominant. The opposite is also true: the influence of the smaller, less productive brachyceros type increases with altitude.
The average live weight of Grey Iskar cows is 390kg. Average milk-yield is 2500-2600 liters, with a maximum of 6928.9 liters. The fat content in the milk is on average 4.2%, with a maximum of 5.7%. They are exceptionally hardy and strong. In addition to milk, these animals are used to provide tractive power (up to the age of 15 or 20 years). They are bred mainly in the region of the rivers Iskar, Vit, Osam, and Rositsa, from whence the breed received its name. Unfortunately, the population of this breed has declined from 74,152 in 1957 to just 281 today. Put another way, Iskar cows in 1957 represented 7.1% of the cows in the country, and today represent practically nothing.
In terms of morphological features, Local Greys are similar to Iskar Greys, but are smaller and significantly less productive. On the other hand, they were once widespread throughout Bulgaria. In 1957 they numbered 429,975, or 41% of the cattle in the country. Today the Local Greys are on the brink of extinction.
As suggested by its name, the Rhodope Shorthorn evolved in the Rhodope Mountains. Together with the Albanian and Southern Montenegran cattle, the Rhodope cattle is the last remnant of the prehistoric brachyceric cattle in Europe. It was domesticated over 8,000 years ago and is also referred to as the Thraco-Illyrian Brachyceros. Small in size, they are capable of using any type of mountain pasture. Their average live weight is around 220 kg.. Their average milk yield is between 1100-1200 liters with a maximum of 2623 liters. The fat content in the milk is on average 4.5%, with a maximum of 5.9%. Comparisons among all the local and improved breeds of cows in Bulgaria show that the Rhodope Shorthorn breeds are second only to the Bulgarian Red Cows in production per 100 kg live weight. Moreover, they live 2-3 times longer than the highly-selected breeds and can produce offspring and milk into advanced age. They are practically immune to illness and have excellent adaptive capabilities. In the winter, when food is scarce, they usually lose about 20% (50 kg) of their body weight, but regain it in less than one month in the spring by grazing. In 1961, 52,956 were alive. They now number less than 250 in the entire Rhodope Mountain range.
It is well known that the domestic ox originated in Indo-Asia. Its appearance in Europe and Bulgaria has not been fully explained either historically or in terms of the direction of migration. According to some data sources, the domestic ox came into Europe with the Saracens from North Africa via Italy in 595 A.D. Other data indicates that it appeared in Italy at the same time as a present to Agalulf, the king of Lombardy, from the Avarian khan (the Varians were a semi-nomadic people of Turkish origin, originating from Central Asia). According to other information the ox appeared in the Balkans with the Proto-Bulgarians in 679 A.D. One of the earliest historical documents in which the ox is mentioned is the famous Sulemankyoi manuscript. On one of the marble columns in the palace of Pliska there is an inscription of the peace agreement between khan Omurtag and the Byzantine Emperor in 814 AD., wherein it is mentioned that khan Omurtag had insisted on the receipt of two oxen for each prisoner freed. In general, the appearance of the ox in Bulgaria still remains a mystery.
While the wild ox is 180 cm high and weighs 1-1.5 tons, the domestic ox is about 50 cm smaller (about 130cm) and only one-third the weight (about 500 kg). It's coat is red and quite thin. The domestic ox is characteristically sensitive to cold and heat. Its milk is very rich in nutritional qualities and is recommended both prophylactically and medicinally for serious illnesses. It is very rich and high in fat content (about 10%). The number of oxen in Bulgaria peaked at 467,872 in 1905. Today this valuable animal is threatened with extinction.
2. Sheep and Goats
No other domestic animal can compete with the sheep in terms of the variety of consumer products it has supplied to the human race for millennia. This small, valuable animal has spread throughout the world in a wide variety of forms. The climatic conditions in Bulgaria were favorable for the development of sheep breeding even in prehistoric times. In the recent past, the population of these domestic animals in Bulgaria has consisted of pure indigenous forms, which are relatively numerous despite Bulgaria's small size. The local forms of sheep have varying morphological features, associated with the specific ecological conditions in the regions where they are located. Accordingly, the names of the local breeds are linked to the names of the regions in which they are found. The more typical forms of primi-tive autochthonous breeds are examined here.
Karakachan Sheep
This sheep of the nomadic Karakachan and Kutsovlas tribes existed widely in Bulgaria until the late 1950s. All researchers who have written on the subject have come to the same conclusion - that the Karakachakan sheep is the most typical and most primitive representative of the coarse wool type of sheep in Bulgaria. It is relatively small, but has an exceptionally lively temperament. It is hardy and highly mobile, capable of covering long distances in search of pasture or during the seasonal migrations of the Karakachan people. It is very resistant, with great vitality, and is exceptionally adaptable to local ecological conditions. It is practically immune to illness and regularly produces offspring. They require minimum care and are famous for their adaptability to available food. They require practically no supplemental food during the winter, except during the most severe snows, when they cannot find pasture. They have a very strongly developed flocking instinct and individuals are rarely known to graze apart from the main body of the flock. The average weight of the ewes is around 35 kg. Lambs weigh around 25 kg. and rams 66 kg. Despite their small size, their milk yield during their lactation period is about 40 liters with 6.5-8% fat content. Their wool weighs on average 2.5 kg with a maximum of 3.5 kg, and the wool yield is about 60%. During the summer the Karakachan people lived in the Rhodope, Rila, Pirin, and Stara Planina Mountains with their flocks, and in the winter migrated to the coastal pastures of the White Sea and Black Sea. At the beginning of the century there were about 330,000-500,000 Karakachan sheep, and according to some sources even more. This number decreased to 158,896 by 1957. Today there are less than 2000.
Bukyovets Sheep
Another representative of the coarse wool sheep in Bulgaria is the Bukyovets breed, which was very wide-spread in northwest Bulgaria, particularly in the western part of the Danubian plain and in the valleys of the rivers Ogosta and Tsibritsa. These typical local sheep were found in the villages of Bukyovets, Hurlets, Glozhene, Butan, Sofronieveo, Hairedin, Kozlodui, Vulchedrum, Yakimovo, and others. It was extremely well suited to the severe climatic conditions of the region (from -35°C to +35°C), relying only on pasture. It was practically immune to illness and regularly produced offspring. It is also disappearing.
Svishtov Sheep
In the recent past, in the region of Pleven and Svishtov in the Danubian plain along the rivers Yantra, Osam, and Rositsa, and on the plateaus between the rivers, there was a breed of sheep typical of this region, called the Svishtov Sheep. Characteristic representatives of the population could be seen in Svishtov, Karamanovo, Vardim, Gorno Ablanovo, Bulgarsko Slivovo, Oresh, and other villages. The Svishtov Sheep is one of the larger autochthonous forms of sheep and is typical of the coarse wool breeds found in the plains. It is white in color, and very resistant to extremes of temperature (which in its native region are the most extreme in the whole of Bulgaria). It is able to find food even in the summer months when the grass of its habitat has dried up. Its population in 1957 was 698,075. Today it has declined to no more than 300.
Replyanska Sheep
This sheep is a typical representative of the coarse wool sheep widespread in the western parts of the Stara Planina, Svetinikolska Planina, Chiprovska Planina, and the mountain regions of Belogradchik and Montana. The center of the habitat of this sheep is the village of Replyana, from which it took its name. It is relatively small, mobile, and resistant. It is marvelously suited to its habitat in the broad mountain and high-mountain pastures and meadows.
Copper-red Shumen Sheep
The habitat of this sheep in northeast Bulgaria stretches from the Black Sea in the east to the foothills of the eastern Stara Planina in the south, and embraces the eastern part of the Predbalkans, the valleys of the Kamchia and Provadia rivers, and the whole of the Ludogor plateau. It takes its name from the town of Shumen and from its copper-red color.
Karnobat Sheep
Along the low southern slopes and foothills of the eastern Stara Planina, south of the line between of Yambol and Elchovo, with a center in the former Karnobat region, the historically famous Karnobat sheep was raised. Of all the local forms of sheep known in Bulgaria, the Karnobat sheep was probably the most famous and widespread. Its wide popularity was due mainly to the high quality of its products. There was no other lamb or mutton more delicious than the meat of the sheep and lambs of the Karnobat region. The wool was also much sought after. It was the only soft wool available in Bulgaria directly after the liberation from the Ottoman Empire. The Karnobat and the Copper-red Shumen sheep are almost identical in their origins and in their morphological and productive features. In 1957 the population numbered 878,582. Today there are only about 1000 left.
Pirdop Sheep and Panagurishte Sheep
In the broad pastures of the former Pirdop region, on the slopes of the Stara Planina and the Sredna Gora, the specific ecological characteristics and economic conditions of the past contributed to the creation of a local form of sheep called the Pirdop. In the furthest northwest part of the Thracian lowlands, in the foothills of the Sredna Gora along the river Luda Yana, there was a breed of sheep called the Panagurishte Sheep. Its habitat embraced the villages of Panagurishte, Strelna, Buta, Popintsi, Banya, Poibrene, Oborishte, and Koprivshtitsa. Its meat was used to make the famous Panagurishte Pasturma, and its wool was used in the famous Panagurishte carpets. The Pirdop and Panagur-ishte sheep are also sometimes known as Srednogorski. They are also disappearing.
Sofia-Breznishki Sheep
In the southwestern part of Bulgaria, mainly in Sofia, Brezniski, Trun, Radomir, Samokov, and Ikhtiman, the Sofia-Breznishki sheep was once wide-spread. Today they number 526, and are also on the verge of extinction.
Starazagora Sheep
The most typical sheep of the plains of South Bulgaria is the Starazagora Sheep. Its habitat stretches from the southern slopes of the Stara Planina in the north to the line between Yambol and Elchovo in the east, and in the south and the west merges with the habitats of the other varieties of white south Bulgarian sheep - the Plovdiv-Purvomaiski and Maritsa. The Starazagora sheep is the largest and most productive of the autochthonous sheep described here. From a total population of 1,060,296 in 1957 their numbers have been reduced to 5000. It can still be seen in its habitat.
Black-headed Pleven Sheep
Among all the local breeds of sheep, this is the most productive. Its habitat lies between the Danube in the north, the foothills of the Stara Planina in the south, the Osam River in the west, and the Iskar River in the east. Agriculture in this region is well developed, which has contributed much to its continued breeding. It is the only local form whose population numbers in the tens of thousands.
Rila Monastery Sheep
The softest wool of the local breeds is provided by the Rila Monastery Sheep. It was bred only in the Rila Monastery, where its population varied between 2000 and 10,000 animals. It disappeared about 1960.
There are other autochthonous forms of sheep in Bulgaria that exist as small isolated populations and that have not become widespread. These include, for example, the Kotlen, Teteven, and Dulben sheep. They have not been the object of separate research. There are also a number of other popular breeds, including the Srednorhodope, Strandzha, Sakarska, and Maritsa Sheep, whose habitats are accordingly situated in the Rhodope, Strandzha, and Sakhar Mountains and the basin of the Maritsa River. Unfortunately, their populations have been greatly reduced.
Autochthonous goats in Bulgaria belong to no specific breed, but differ in morphological features. They are classified according to size and the form of their horns: Bezoarov, with relatively long, flat and curved horns; Vintorog, with massive and spiral horns; Priska, with massive horns with a single smooth curve. As is well known, the goat is the least particular animal in terms of its food, and its ability to digest cellulose is shared only by the camel. Goats' milk has high dietary and medicinal qualities. Because it is closest in composition to mother's milk, it is very suitable for children and the ill. Unfortunately, the number of goats has been seriously reduced in the recent past.
3. Pigs
According to research, there were three autochthonous breeds of pig in Bulgaria in the recent past: the Klepoucha (curved ear), Pravoucha (straight ear), and East Balkan. They remained out to pasture all year long.
The local Klepoucha Pig was usually dirty white in color, with occasional black or speckled individuals. They were widespread throughout Bulgaria. About fifty years ago the primitive Klepoucha pig was common in the regions of Botevgrad, Berkovo, Elin Pelin, Trun, Kustendil, and Blagoevgrad. It is now believed to be extinct.
The Pravoucha pig was known to exist before the liberation from the Ottoman Empire and shortly afterwards. It was small and similar to a wild boar, and shared the same ancestry as the Klepoucha. It had a relatively short head and small, straight, forward-pointing ears. Both the Klepoucha and the Pravoucha disappeared from Bulgaria long before they could be studied.
In the recent and distant past, in almost all of eastern Bulgaria (with the exception of the extreme northeast), there was a primitive autochthonous form of pig. It was more similar in its morphological features to wild than domestic pigs. It was known under many names - the Kamchiska, the Smyadovska, the Rizhska. After studies by Khlebarov in 1920, it was given the name Eastern Balkan, despite the fact that most of its population in the past and now is to be found in the Strandzha region. It is usually black. The upright bristles on its spine are longer than those on the rest of its body and create a comb along its back. The Eastern Balkan pig lives in herds that wander the forests year-round. Its main foods include oak and beech acorns, roots, plants, worms, insect larvae and in-sects, and wild fruit. In 1961 the population was 139,644. Today there are no more than 500 individuals.
4. Horses
During the first survey of domestic animals carried out in Bulgaria, in 1892, there were 343,944 horses. Undoubtedly, most of these were local breeds. Until then, and for a long time afterwards (1929, when the first paper on the classification of the separate forms of local horses was published), only one type of local breed was recognized. After this paper appeared, several additional academic papers were published in a relatively short period of time. They specified the characteristic differences among horse populations in different regions, based on research into their external features and adaptations to specific ecological conditions over a long period of time in a particular geographical region. As a result of this research, we are now aware of the existence of several indigenous forms of horses, most of which have either already become extinct or are on the verge of extinction. The horse population in Bulgaria in 1957 totaled 100,751. They are now reduced to no more than a tenth of this in the whole country.
Deliorman (Ludogora) Horse
As indicated by its name, this horse was a characteristic inhabitant of Deliorman and is considered a typical local lowland horse. It was usually chestnut in color with a clearly marked black line along its spine. For hundreds of years it was reared in herds, which wandered the forests and pastures year-round, foraging for themselves. A special feature of the Deliorman Horse was its remarkable adaptability. It was extremely robust as a work horse or saddle horse. Its fame reached beyond the borders of Bulgaria. It was one of the most sought after horses in the Balkan peninsula and the Ottoman Empire. It too has disappeared.
Staroplanina Horse
Along the whole of the Staroplanina mountain range, with the exception of the eastern branches and the valley of the Kamchia River, there was from time immemorial a primitive pack horse, adapted to the local mountain conditions, known as the Staroplanina horse. Individual horses may still be found in some of the more isolated villages and hamlets, mainly in the central part of the Staroplanina mountains, where they continue to serve as a means of transport of goods and people. Such horses have been observed in the villages of Cherni Vit, Divchoto, Litakovo, and other villages. The Staroplanina horse is chestnut in color, but is frequently roan, black, or grey. It has a characteristic long mane on its forehead and neck and is covered in tufts of long, thick, and coarse hair. It has a short, low body with a voluminous belly. It also is on the verge of disappearing.
Riloplanina Horse
In the northern and the western parts of the Rila, Predel, and part of the Pirin Mountains, in the regions with a well developed forestry and tree-felling industry, the Riloplanina Horse was widespread. Its habitat was broad meadows and pastures. The production and trade of wood allowed for the supply of large quantities of grain from the productive parts of Bulgaria. The condi-tions under which these horses developed were very different from those of the Staroplanina horses, despite the fact that both regions are mountainous. This was a larger horse and was particu-larly hard-working, with great tractive strength. It is now considered extinct.
Karakachan Horse
This horse is one of the most typical of the local primitive breeds, due mainly to the very conservative traditions of animal breeding among the wandering Karakachan people. The nomadic Karakachan people kept their sheep out to graze year-round, constantly migrating back and forth between summer and winter pastures. During this migration they travelled with their whole families and all of their worldly goods. It was natural therefore that they should use horses specially bred for this purpose. All of the Karakachan animal husbandry practices were based on a single principle: the production of consumable products based purely on natural resources. The only source of food available to the horses all year long was pasture. It is a relatively small horse that, due to its very muscular body, always looks well-fed. It is characteristically chestnut in color, less frequently grey, black, or roan. It typically has a long, thick mane on its forehead and neck and a long tail, sometimes reaching down to the ground. In 1958 the last Karakachan horses were forced out of their habitat, as a result of which their numbers are seriously reduced. They are now threatened with extinction.
Kamchia Horse
The Kamchia horse is in fact a variety of the Staroplanina horse. The morphological differences between them are due only to the specific ecological conditions of the Kamchia valley. This horse is the tallest and largest of all the known primitive local forms of horse. It has also disappeared.
Rhodope Horse
This horse was considered a variety of the Staroplanina horse. It was slightly smaller and slimmer. It was, of course, widespread in the Rhodope Mountains, where in the more isolated villages individuals it can still be seen.
5. Dogs
In Bulgaria the dog appeared at the beginning of the Neolithic, accompanying the earliest settlers in the territory. Man soon realized that a domesticated wolf could be useful as more than just a source of food - as a hunters' friend or as a faithful guard, the two most ancient canine professions. These features are dominant in some of the autochthonous breeds of dog in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Deliorman (Ludogora) Hunter
It is believed that even about four thousand years ago the Thracians and Illyrians hunted with such dogs. Some people believe that it is the best of all hunting dogs. The Deliorman hunting dog is coal-black in color, sometimes with a white spot on the head. It possesses a very strong sense of orientation and a good sense of smell and is very robust. It is not officially registered as a breed and no survey has been made of its population in Bulgaria. One of the reasons for the reduction in the number of these dogs is its export to neighboring Balkan countries.
Baraka
Another of the Bulgarian hunting dogs is the Baraka. It is dirty-grey to rusty-brown in color and has hunting qualities similar to those of the Delioman hunting dog. It is found mainly in southern Bulgaria, the Rhodope Mountains, and Strandzha. It is also disappearing.
Karakachan Dog
This is a massive, well proportioned dog, whose appearance radiates strength and respect. Possessing courage and dignity, combined with calm and loyalty, it has been the friend and guardian of ancient and modern people. Its fur varies in length, and so the breed has two types - short-haired (with fur length of up to 6 cm) and long-haired. It is black, grey, and brown in color, with varying nuances of ginger, yellow, and tiger. It is frequently speckled, spotted, and sometimes white. Male dogs weigh about 40-50 kg, and females about 35-40 kg. The height of the males is a minimum of 63 cm and of females 60cm. Its head is proportionate to its overall appearance, its ears short and small, its nose large and always black. Its neck is short and powerful and its tail long and furry. Its moves in a characteristically bouncing manner. It never admits defeat. It either wins or dies. The forced elimination of Karakachan dogs from the mountains is one of the main factors threatening it with extinction. Another contributory factor is the lack of any standard and any elementary knowledge of the morphological features of the Karakachan dogs amongst the people who still own them, uncontrolled interbreeding with non-typical types, the destruction of female animals, and the general lack of interest in the conservation of this valuable dog. They can be still found in the more isolated villages of the Rhodope, Rila, Pirin, Stara Planina, and Strandzha Mountains, and elsewhere.
Conservation Status and the Red Register of Autochthonous Forms of Domestic Animals
Research into changes in the populations of the indigenous domestic animals in Bulgaria over the past 30-35 years has revealed their sharp decline. Some have already disappeared, and the remainder are threatened with extinction to varying degrees. Based on this research, a Red Register of autochthonous domestic fauna of Bulgaria has been created, and categories for classifying the various forms have been developed. These categories have already been used to classify various autochthonous forms and to describe their conservation status. The following categories have been established:
1. Extinct types: those that can no longer been found in Bulgaria.
2. Disappearing types: those for which the numbers are in such decline that their survival is in doubt, even if urgent measures are taken; this category includes types that are likely to have disappeared.
3. Threatened types: those that are in direct danger of extinction if negative factors continue to affect them; this category includes types with small populations or whose populations have begun to decline rapidly.
4. Potentially threatened types: those that are not yet in danger, but whose populations in the recent past have been large, are now considerably reduced, and, if trends continue, are in danger of being reclassified as threatened; this category includes forms that have been in the previous category, but for which measures have been taken to increase their numbers above critical minimum levels.
Seven types of domesticated animals have been examined for the Red Register - cattle, ox, sheep, goat, pig, horse, and dog. Among these, 37 autochthonous types are recognized in Bulgaria. Local diversity is greatest among the sheep, 54% of which are indigenous to Bulgaria; and least among the ox and the goat (only one type each). Of the 37 autochthonous forms of domestic animals, 6 have already disappeared, 12 are disappearing, 16 are threatened with extinction, and 3 are potentially threatened (see Appendix 1.). All the autochthonous forms of domestic animals are endemics to Bulgaria or the Balkans. About 29 of them are Bulgarian endemics: the Local Grey cattle, the Grey Iskar cattle, the East Balkan Pig, the Local Goat, the Barak Hunting Dog, all the types of horses, and all the types of sheep apart from the Karakachan Sheep. The Karakachan Sheep, Horse, and Dog, and the Deliorman Hunting Dog are Balkan endemics. The Rhodope Shorthorn cattle is an Eastern European endemic, widespread in the past from the mountains of Georgia to the Rhodopes and the Macedonian and Serbian mountain regions, and as far as some regions of the Carpathians and the Alps. The Klepoucha and Pravoucha Pigs are European endemics. They were bred in Serbia and Macedonia and have the same origins as the European wild pig. The Rhodope Shorthorn Cattle and Karakachan Sheep, which have retained their primitive features and qualities, can be considered post-glacial relicts.
Measures for the Conservation of the Autochthonous Forms of Domestic Animals in Bulgaria
Intensified breeding of commercial breeds has had serious effects on local types of domestic animals, which as a rule are less productive. Undoubtedly, the increased import of highly-selected breeds and the complete ignorance and undeserved lack of interest in local forms have contributed to their decline. There is a real danger that more of them will disappear forever.
In order to avoid this fate, the Bulgarian government in the last 15 years has formed breeding populations of these autochthonous domestic animals. However, the formation of these small closed populations may be resulting in an increase in their inbreeding coefficient and the gradual disappearance of the existing genetic mutability. This is why various steps are urgently needed to preserve these valuable genetic resources. Local people must be interested in the breeding and rearing of these animals, and encouraged through direct subsidy of the price of products from these animals. Special reserves are needed to breed and rear them under natural conditions. An alternative would be the cryopreservation of the gametes and embryos of these animals. A gene bank of this type is soon to be established in Bulgaria. A pioneering achievement in this area recently took place in the Rhodope Mountains, where the embryos of a Rhodope Shorthorn Cow were successfully frozen.
Above all, however, it is necessary to examine this problem in all its international aspects, and to attract the interest of reliable financial sources in conservation efforts. As a general rule, the autochthonous forms of domestic animals have disappeared or declined in many of the rich, developed countries and are still preserved in the poorer or developing countries. Paradoxically, the richer the country, the fewer the autochthonous breeds, and vice versa. It is well known that the developed countries have developed highly selected, high productivity herds; at the same time, they have lost the prototypic breeds. The developed world is increasingly dominated by a few elite breeds, which are spreading their influence through the other countries, including the habitats of the "aboriginal" breeds - habitats that are growing smaller every year. The richer countries profit from the sale of elite breeding material and do not realize that somewhere in the world a local breed is disappearing as a result. At the moment, however, it should be understood that these highly productive, record-breaking varieties, which can be found in many of the pastures of the world, have been irreversibly impoverished by the loss of genetic resources. Frozen sperm and embryos and the small and feeble enclosed populations of autoch-thonous breeds, which have been specially preserved for their genetic potential, are often no longer in a position to help. They have degenerated due to long-term artificial rearing and close interbreeding and have long ago lost the genetic qualities of a stable population.
For this reason, the richer, more developed countries must develop conservation programs and begin to finance projects to preserve the autochthonous forms of domestic animals in other countries. A global overview of this problem is needed; national and continental boundaries should be ignored for the sake of the good of mankind. In addition to the development of large live populations of "aboriginal" animals, funds are needed for other extremely important projects, including serious educational programs to communicate the importance of the problem and advertising campaigns to provoke a healthy interest in nature. It would be easiest and most practical to begin with small, high profile demonstration projects to provoke imitation.
Of course, it is most important that the richer countries become convinced of the need to plug this new, dangerous ecological "hole" - one that may be, in its own way, equal in size and significance to the hole in the ozone layer.
Appendix 1. Classification of local breeds in Bulgaria according to degree of threat.
1. Extinct types
Rila Monastery Sheep
Local Klepoucha Pig
Local Pravoucha Pig
Deliorman Horse
Kamchia Horse
Rila Planina HorseEast Balkan Pig
Karakachan Horse
Stara Planina Horse
Rhodope Horse
Karakachan Dog
Barak Hunter2. Disappearing types
Grey Iskar Cow
Rhodope Shorthorn Cow
Local OxSvishtov Sheep
Sredna Gora Sheep
Duben Sheep3. Threatened types
Karakachan Sheep
Replyan Sheep Shumen
Sheep Karnobat Sheep
Pirdop Sheep
Sofia-Breznik Sheep
Bukyov Sheep
Pangurishte SheepStrandzha Sheep
Sakhar Sheep
Maritsa Sheep
Sredna Stara Planina Sheep
Kotlen Sheep
Teteven Sheep
Local Goat
Bulgarian Deliorman Hunting Dog4. Potentially threatened types
Local Grey Cow
Pleven Blackhead Sheep
Stara Zagora SheepBibliography
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