Bless the beasts . . .

In an effort to assist rare and endangered species of animals and plants that are only categorized as such because of man's influence on their environment, the Swiss have created foundations specifically to promote the genetic heritage of those that are native to Switzerland.  One such, ProSpecie Rara, was created to safeguard the diversity of plants cultivated for crops and animals raised or used on farms.

Some success stories recently reported have dealt with poultry, sheep, goats and even one horse breed.  The poultry group, for example, includes chickens known as "la barbue d'Appenzell" ("the bearded Appenzeller"), which comes from the Swiss region of Appenzell.  Here they are generally black, with a tufted crest on top with two hornlike little red flaps.  Their feathers are long and they are actually able to fly, preferring to roost in trees when possible.  They are more like wild birds than are ordinary domesticated chickens, but are good layers.  Unfortunately, the eggshells are so hard that their chicks are occasionally unable to break through and, instead, smother inside.  The Foundation has managed to create a genetic reserve in order to ensure their survival.

Included among the goats is a species called the "chèvre bottée" (booted goat).  The breed originated in the Swiss Oberland, are very much at home on steep slopes and are also known by the German name "Stiefelgeiss."  They are able to find nourishment in brush and weeds to the extent that small herds of them have been used to clear areas along the mountainous railroad lines more efficiently than can be done using men and machines.

There are two breeds of sheep among the Foundation's success stories.  First, there is the "rouquin du Valais," also known as the "roux du Valais," a rusty-coated sheep with long horns curled behind its ears which comes from the Swiss canton of the same name, the Valais.  It has had to prove hardy.  Many breeds related to it no longer exist.  It has only survived because it was specifically integrated into a rehabilitation project at the beginning of the 1980s.  Like the booted goat, it can also be used for weed control since it likes to graze on weeds.

The other breed is the "mouton de l'Oberland Grison," small, agile and hardy.  These sheep are similar to the Tavet sheep which dated from the Stone Age, but which no longer survives.  They are also horned sheep.  Because their numbers are so few, they are still classified as "scarce.

While it is certainly not the last animal that has been helped by the efforts of ProSpecieRara, the last that I will discuss today is the horse.  Of course!  The "cheval des Franches-Montagnes," from the Franches-Montagnes district of the Swiss Jura, is the only horse breed that originated in Switzerland.  Today's horses are the result of cross-breeding of indigenous Swiss mares with stallions from other European countries, most notably France.  While the Franches-Montagnes is primarily a draft horse, it is also versatile emough to be used for all styles of riding and has a gentle disposition.  It's often used in the sport of "attelage" (horse-drawn vehicles), a video of which can be seen here.  The Swiss Army also still uses it for certain tasks.  But its numbers are diminishing.

Bravo to ProSpecieRara for its efforts!  May those efforts continue to bear the fruits of diversity.