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Five Big Things You Need To Know About Little Zebus

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Two zebus in Madagascar

One of the smallest species of cattle in the world, zebus are about the size of a large dog. Expect to see them at the State Fair of Texas, which starts Friday, in both the show ring and petting zoo.

Here are five big things to know about little zebus.

1.       The zebu is the only species of cattle that can adapt and thrive in the hot tropics.

2.      In India, the zebu is considered holy.

3.      The zebu is naturally parasite and disease resistant.

4.      Zebus are slow to mature. The smaller the zebu, the older it is when it first breeds.

5.      Zebus can live up to 20 years.

Check out this video of a miniature zebu cow and her three-hour-old calf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPLtHDc0piI

Courtney Collins has been working as a broadcast journalist since graduating from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2004. Before coming to KERA in 2011, Courtney worked as a reporter for NPR member station WAMU in Washington D.C. While there she covered daily news and reported for the station’s weekly news magazine, Metro Connection.