The origins of the Betizu are unknown. The name betizu derives from the Basque: behi izua, "elusive cow", and distinguishes it from the extebehi or "house cow".[3]: 59 [8] It appears in Basque mythology as Zezengorri ("red bull"), guardian of the treasure of the goddess Mari.[9]
The Betizu is sometimes believed to be the remnant of an ancient Pyrenean cattle population adapted to survive in marginal mountain terrain;[3]: 60 or it may derive from animals lost or escaped during the annual transhumance.[2]: 130
The betizu has also been known by different authors and in different locations as the "vaca del país", "casta navarra" and "raza vasca". José Miguel de Barandiarán has referred to it as the "vaca huraña".[9][10]
In 2013, the breed population in Navarra was estimated at 254,[10] while the number in Aquitaine was put at less than 150.[6]
Navarre reserve
The Government of Navarre has launched a project to conserve this autochthonous breed. They own a herd that inhabits the abandoned village of Sastoya, in the Urraúl Alto valley. The stated goal of the project is to protect and expand this breed.
The Sastoya village encompasses more than 80 ha (200 acres), of which 12 ha (30 acres) are grasslands. It is inside the area of Ecological Production and is property of the Government of Navarra. It is managed by their Environment Department. The facility includes several warehouses to manage the livestock.
The Sastoya reservation houses about 45 animals. Reservation workers limit their contact with the animals in order to preserve their wild nature.[11]
^ abcMiguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN9788449109461.
These are the cattle breeds considered in France to be wholly or partly of French origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively French.
These are the cattle breeds considered in Spain to be wholly or partly of Spanish origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Spanish.