{{Short description|Basque breed of cattle}} {{for|the Basque-language television program|Betizu (TV program)}} {{Infobox cattle breed | name = Betizu | image = Betizu sur le massif du Xoldokogaina.jpg | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = Bull on the slopes of {{ill|Xoldokogaina|eu}} | status = {{ubl|France: {{ubl|FAO (2007): critical{{r|barb|page=41}}|DAD-IS (2024): at risk/critical{{r|dad2}}}}|Spain: {{ubl|FAO (2007): endangered{{r|barb|page=106}}|DAD-IS (2024): at risk/endangered{{r|dad}}}}}} | altname = Betizuak{{r|cabi|page=130}} | country = {{ubl|Spain|France}} | distribution = {{ubl|Bizkaia|Gipuzkoa|Nafarroa|Labourd, Pyrénées-Atlantiques}} | standard = [https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/of344-2014librogenealogicobetizu_tcm30-117417.pdf Gobierno de Navarra] (in Spanish) | use = {{ubl|meat|vegetation management}} | weight = | maleweight = {{convert|400-500|kg|abbr=on|-2|comma=off}} | femaleweight = {{convert|300-350|kg|abbr=on|-2|comma=off}} | height = | maleheight = {{convert|130|cm|abbr=on}}{{r|cabi|page=130}} | femaleheight = {{convert|120|cm|abbr=on}}{{r|cabi|page=130}} | skincolour = creamy white{{r|guia|page=61}} | coat = russet brown | horn = horned | subspecies = taurus | note = }}
The '''Betizu''' is a breed of small mountain cattle which live in a semi-feral state in some mountainous parts of the Basque Country in both Spain and France. It is classified as an endangered breed by both the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the agriculture ministry of Spain,{{r|mapa|boe}} and by the Conservatoire des Races d'Aquitaine in France.{{r|cra}}
It is one of a small number of semi-feral cattle populations in Europe, with the Albera of the Pyrenees, the Monchina of Cantabria, and the Raço di Biòu of the Camargue.{{r|marl}}
== History ==
The origins of the Betizu are unknown. The name {{lang|eu|betizu}} derives from the {{langx|eu|behi izua}}, 'elusive cow', and distinguishes it from the {{lang|eu|etxebehi}} or 'house cow'.{{r|guia|page=59|euskal}} It appears in Basque mythology as Zezengorri ('red bull'), guardian of the treasure of the goddess Mari.{{r|pais}}
The Betizu is sometimes believed to be the remnant of an ancient Pyrenean cattle population adapted to survive in marginal mountain terrain;{{r|guia|page=60}} or it may derive from animals lost or escaped during the annual transhumance.{{r|cabi|page=130}}
In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed, and in Navarre was listed as such in 2003. At about the same time the Government of Navarre established a conservation herd at the ''finca'' of Sastoia in Urraúl Alto, in the ''comarca'' of Lumbier; management of the herd was later handed over to the {{ill|Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias|es}}.{{r|gob}}
In 2013, the breed population in Navarre was estimated at 254,{{r|intia}} while the number in Aquitaine was put at less than 150.{{r|cra}} In 2023 a total of {{val|1267}} head was reported from Spain, including 688 cows and 50 bulls registered in the herd-book, distributed over 41 herds;{{r|dad}} for France a population of {{val|80|–|100}} head was reported.{{r|dad2}} The conservation status for Spain was listed as "at risk/endangered", while for France it was "at risk/critical".{{r|dad|dad2}}
== References == {{commonscat}} {{reflist|45em|refs=
<ref name=barb>Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200623201209/http://www.fao.org/3/a1250e/annexes/List%20of%20breeds%20documented%20in%20the%20Global%20Databank%20for%20Animal%20Genetic%20Resources/List_breeds.pdf List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources], annex to [https://web.archive.org/web/20170110125634/http://www.fao.org/3/a-a1250e.pdf ''The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture'']. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. {{isbn|9789251057629}}. Archived 23 June 2020.</ref>
<ref name=boe>Loyola de Palacio del Valle-Lersundi (7 November 1997). [https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/1997/11/07/1682/dof/spa/pdf Real Decreto 1682/1997, de 7 de noviembre, por el que se actualiza el Catálogo Oficial de Razas de Ganado de España] (in Spanish). ''Boletín Oficial del Estado'' '''279''' (21 November 1997): 34205–34207. Reference: BOE-A-1997-24860. European Legislation Identifier: [https://www.boe.es/eli/es/rd/1997/11/07/1682 permalink].</ref>
<ref name=cabi>Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). [https://books.google.it/books?id=2UEJDAAAQBAJ&hl=en ''Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding''] (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. {{ISBN|9781780647944}}.</ref>
<ref name=cra>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240715225450/http://www.racesaquitaine.fr/-La-Vache-Betizu- La Vache Betizu: Présentation] (in French). Merignac: Conservatoire des Races d'Aquitaine. Archived 15 July 2024.</ref>
<ref name=dad>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=ESP&specie=Cattle&breed=Betizu&external=1&lang=en Breed data sheet: Betizu / Spain (Cattle)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2024.</ref>
<ref name=dad2>[https://dadis-breed-datasheet-ws.firebaseapp.com/?country=FRA&specie=Cattle&breed=Betizu&external=1&lang=en Breed data sheet: Betizu / France (Cattle)]. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed November 2024.</ref>
<ref name=euskal>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130831142907/http://euskalabereak.net/detalle.aspx?Id=41 Betizu]}} (in Spanish). Euskal Abereak. Archived 31 August 2013.</ref>
<ref name=gob>[s.n.] (23 March 2018).[https://web.archive.org/web/20190614094210/https://www.navarra.es/home_es/Actualidad/Sala+de+prensa/Noticias/2018/03/23/gobierno+navarra+proyecto+comercializar+carne+betizu.htm El Gobierno de Navarra desarrolla un proyecto para comercializar la carne de raza autóctona vacuna "Betizu"] (in Spanish). Gobierno de Navarra – Nafarroako Gobernua. Archived 14 June 2019.</ref>
<ref name=guia>Miguel 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. {{ISBN|9788449109461}}.</ref>
<ref name=intia>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150101063911/http://www.itgganadero.com/itg/portal/seccion.asp?S=3&N=80&P=17 Betizu] (in Spanish). Villava: Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias. Archived 1 January 2015.</ref>
<ref name=mapa>[https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/zootecnia/razas-ganaderas/razas/catalogo/peligro-extincion/bovino/betizu/datos_morfologicos.aspx Raza bovina Betizu: Datos Generales] (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Accessed June 2019.</ref>
<ref name=marl>Marleen Felius (1995). [https://books.google.it/books?id=iXImAQAAMAAJ&hl=en ''Cattle Breeds: An Encyclopedia'']. Doetinchem, Netherlands: Misset. {{ISBN|9789054390176}}.</ref>
<ref name=pais>Mikel Muez (7 January 2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20120719102635/https://elpais.com/diario/2006/01/07/paisvasco/1136666414_850215.html Las últimas vacas salvajes de Europa] (in Spanish). ''El País''. Archived 19 July 2012.</ref>
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{{Cattle breeds of France}} {{Cattle breeds of Spain}} {{Basque animal breeds}}
Category:Cattle breeds originating in Spain Category:Cattle breeds originating in France Category:Basque domestic animal breeds