Gyr cattle
Bull at Bhavnagar | |
| Conservation status | FAO (2007): not at risk |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | India |
| Distribution |
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| Use | dairy |
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The Gir or Gyr is an Indian breed of zebuine cattle. It originated in the Kathiawar peninsula in the state of Gujarat, and the name of the breed derives from that of the Gir Hills in that region. Other names include Bhodah, Desan, Gujarati, Kathiawari, Sorthi and Surti.
These cattle were exported to Brazil from the early twentieth century, and the Brazilian Gir numbers about five million head; selective breeding since the 1960s has led to the development of separate dairy (Gir Leiteiro) and beef strains.