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Farmer forced to cull aggressive cows
heck cows
Heck cows are the result of an attempt to bring back the extinct Auroch.

Herd of "super cows" in Devon are descended from those bred in Nazi Germany

A farmer has been forced to cull part of his herd of Heck cattle, which are descended from cows bred for aggression in Nazi Germany.

Derek Gow imported 13 Heck cows from Holland and Belgium back in 2008. It was the first time they had ever been imported into Britain.

Mr Gow has had to cut his herd down to six cows due to their aggressive and dangerous nature.

He told The Guardian: "The ones we had to get rid of would just attack you any chance they could. They would try to kill anyone. Dealing with that was not a lot of fun at all.

"I have worked with a range of different animals from bison to deer and I have never come across anything like these. They are by far and away the most aggressive animals I have ever worked with.

"Some were perfectly calm and quiet and they are the ones we have kept. The others you could not go near."

Heck cows are the result of an attempt to bring back the extinct Auroch, which is often confused with the European bison.

Two German zoo directors, Heinz and Lutz Heck, tried to revive the species in the 1920s, an attempt that was supported by Hermann Goering, head of Hitler's Luftwaffe. Within a few generations, the pair managed to breed calves that had a similar appearance and ferocity to the Auroch.

While most Heck cows were destroyed after the Second World War, some survived.

Image courtesy of Derek Gow.

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FIVP launches CMA remedies survey

News Story 1
 FIVP has shared a survey, inviting those working in independent practice to share their views on the CMA's proposed remedies.

The Impact Assessment will help inform the group's response to the CMA, as it prepares to submit further evidence to the Inquiry Group. FIVP will also be attending a hearing in November.

Data will be anonymised and used solely for FIVP's response to the CMA. The survey will close on Friday, 31 October 2025. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
CMA to host webinar exploring provisional decisions

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is to host a webinar for veterinary professionals to explain the details of its provisional decisions, released on 15 October 2025.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, 29 October 2025 from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

Officials will discuss the changes which those in practice may need to make if the provisional remedies go ahead. They will also share what happens next with the investigation.

The CMA will be answering questions from the main parties of the investigation, as well as other questions submitted ahead of the webinar.

Attendees can register here before Wednesday, 29 October at 11am. Questions must be submitted before 10am on 27 October.

A recording of the webinar will be accessible after the event.