Q: When the foot-and-mouth epidemic hit Northumberland, the media said that the wild white cattle of Chillingham were seriously at risk. It was never said subsequently whether or not these animals were actually infected, though I assume that they escaped. Also, with regard to these rare animals, I seem to recall some time ago that a small breeding nucleus was moved to an isolated location in Scotland as a safeguard to the preservation of the herd. Can you confirm? - Jack Shaw, Seaham.

A: The threat of foot-and-mouth came geographically very close to the Chillingham herd last year, with the culling of farm cattle taking place as close as four miles away from Chillingham Park. The disease had come even closer - within two miles - during the outbreak of 1967, after which it was decided to set up a small reserve herd in an isolated part of Scotland in case of future danger.

The Chillingham cattle are wild, non-domesticated cattle and the conditions of their 300-acre habitat, within the walls of Chillingham Park, are as close to the wild as possible. The cattle do not take kindly to any agricultural development of their land and even refuse oats offered to them during particularly severe winters, when grazing is difficult.

It is thought that the cattle are the descendants of the wild cattle that once roamed much of northern England and lowland Scotland hundreds of years ago. It has also been suggested that the Chillingham herd is descended from the wild ox that lived in Britain many centuries ago. This has not been proved, but genetic testing has demonstrated that the cattle have a unique blood group quite different to other western European cattle.

In the 13th Century, the reigning King of England had given permission for the manor of Chillingham in north Northumberland to be castellated and for the surrounding land to be enclosed within walls. During the enclosure, a wild herd of white cattle was corralled within the walls for the provision of food. The wild and ferocious nature of the cattle actually made them a suitable, permanent source of food in this wild border region, because they were quite difficult to round up. This meant that border raiders and castle rustlers could not make off with the cattle easily, even if they could drive them out of the castle walls.

Published: Monday, February 25, 2002

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