On December 4, 2024, we welcomed the first animal residents to the winter quarters of the Wild Solutions Park: six Tux-Zillertal cows, an old and particularly hardy cattle breed from Tyrol. Their arrival marks an important beginning for our grazing project in the Leiser Berge Nature Park.
No deworming – a conscious step for greater diversity
A frequent topic in extensive livestock farming is deworming. Our cows were deliberately not dewormed prophylactically. Deworming takes place only in the event of a confirmed heavy infestation. The reason: the natural cowpat is an important element of a functioning ecosystem – a small biotope for numerous insect species.
Within just a few days, a fresh pat is colonized by dung beetles, hoverflies, dung flies, and other specialized species. They quickly break it down, return the organic matter to the soil, and thus promote humus formation. This rapid decomposition also ensures that unpleasant odors hardly develop – in contrast to manure from intensive livestock farming, which often lies exposed for long periods and releases nutrients into the air.
Resilience through adaptation
Tux-Zillertal cows are naturally resilient animals. They cope with parasites far better than high-performance breeds. The reason lies in their upbringing: from birth, they are accustomed to living with a certain parasite load. They have strong immune systems and regulate infestations in part by themselves – among other things by instinctively eating small amounts of certain plants that are harmless to them but harmful to parasites.
This behavior may seem unusual at first glance, but it is by no means unnatural. Native wild animals such as deer, wild boar, or hares also live with parasites – entirely without medical intervention. Many of them are healthier than some domestic or farm animals that live under constant deworming or medication pressure.
A contribution to the natural cycle
The Tux-Zillertal cows are therefore not only landscape managers but also part of a larger ecological system. Their dung promotes insect diversity, which in turn provides food for birds, amphibians, and small mammals. Through their grazing, the cows also help make the land less nutrient-rich and thus more species-rich – an important prerequisite for ecological balance in the Wild Solutions Park.
We are delighted that these special cattle are now part of our project. Their presence not only brings life to the landscape but also revives a piece of long-lost knowledge about natural interconnections.
