Some 80 head of cattle, direct descendants of the livestock brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus, have been removed from the glacier-covered mountains of southern Argentina. Experts aim to study their genetic makeup. Two Argentine scientists have spent the past 15 years studying a forgotten animal that could possess important genetic information: the wild cattle of the glaciers of southern Patagonia.

There are around 1,500 “criollo patagónico” (Bos taurus taurus) surviving in Bahía Onelli and Peninsula Avellaneda, to the west of Lake Argentino, in Santa Cruz province.

The zootechnical engineers Rubén Martínez and Alejandro Rodríguez have so far shipped 80 of these bovines — the direct descendants of cattle brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus — to Buenos Aires to conduct their research.

The experts, from Lomas de Zamora National University, believe the criollo patagónico should be protected as a genetic resource, as recommended by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The wild cattle wander an area near the international tourist destination of the Perito Moreno glacier, which draws visitors to witness the big blocks of ice breaking away from the glacier and falling into the lake.

The criollos are the descendants of the cattle that a settler transported by boat across the lake in 1800. In 1937, the Glaciers National Park was created, and the people living on the land that is now the park left their homes and the cattle behind.

Today, the livestock are blamed for causing environmental damage to some 50,000 hectares of the park, which covers an area of 730,000 hectares.

Park ranger Pablo Collavino explained in a Tierramérica interview that the criollos feed on the natural vegetation, including trees such as 'lengas', coigues, cypress and cinnamon.

“There is also soil erosion caused by the paths they create,” he said.

The law requires the park managers to put priority on the survival of native species, and establishes that “exotic” species should be removed, but “it is utopian to think of achieving total eradication” of large populations, added Collavino.

The criollo patagónico experts Martínez and Rodríguez say it is very likely that the wild cattle are genetically valuable because they have developed the capacity to survive in extreme conditions. Studies of the criollo's genetic potential are underway.

The glacier cattle do not feed on rich pastures like their relatives on the temperate plains of the Argentine Pampa, far to the north, but instead eat young trees and lichen. The criollos wander through forests, glaciers and mountains, withstanding temperatures of 10 degrees below zero Celsius.

Under these extreme conditions, they produce 50 percent more milk and leaner meat than the commercially popular cattle that are raised on the Pampa, which are the result of cross breeding with cattle brought from Britain in the 19th century.

“The beef is leaner and not necessarily tougher, but less succulent,” and a wild cow produces six or seven liters of milk a day, compared to the four liters of the commercially raised cow, said Rodríguez.

However, the two experts are not focusing on the economic potential of the Patagonian cattle, but rather the importance of preserving their genetic information, as is done for other plant and animal species whose potential is not yet known.

Preservation of genetic information can be achieved through maintaining germplasm, whether criollo patagónico semen, embryos or live animals. The objective of Martínez and Rodríguez is to create a sperm bank, but for now they are focused on protecting the live animals in the fields of the Lomas de Zamora National University, in Buenos Aires province, without the threat of further harming Los Glaciares National Park.

In 1989, the university signed an agreement with the National Parks Administration to allow the experts to capture the wild cattle and transport them to Buenos Aires. But it has not been an easy task.

The criollos live in an area that is difficult to reach. Local residents follow the animals for several days to coordinate the capture and then the cattle are shipped first by boat, then by land in a two-day journey to the university, Rodríguez told Tierramérica.

“The boat trip across the lake costs 800 pesos (280 dollars) a day and each cage to transport 30 by truck costs 5,000 pesos (1,750 dollars),” he said.

And then there is no guarantee that all of the animals will survive the stress of the trip. “The last time we captured 60 cattle, and only 40 made it.”

Rodríguez and Martínez are now seeking support to bring 100 more head to the university, thus achieving the minimum population recommended by the FAO to ensure the conservation of this unique breed.