The Incredible Survival Story of Feral Cattle on Amsterdam Island
Heurtin, a farmer, landed on Amsterdam Island in 1871. It was a tiny, isolated speck in the southern Indian Ocean. He brought five cows. Hopes of starting something.
But that settlement never stuck. It collapsed within months. He left the island. The cows, though? They stayed.
That’s where the real strangeness begins. What happened next became one of the weirdest animal survival stories scientists have ever looked into.
Those five animals. They managed to survive on that remote volcanic rock. Brutal winds, zero fresh water, no vet care. Almost total isolation.
They just kept going.
Over 130 years, that tiny group multiplied. It became a feral herd. Reports say it hit about two thousand animals.
Scientists were hooked. How did they pull it off? How did they avoid total collapse from disease and inbreeding?
Then came the big push. A major genetics study in 2024 finally tried to answer.
Mathieu Gautier, geneticist at INRAE, teamed up with the University of Liège. They looked at preserved DNA. Samples taken from 18 cattle before the whole herd was wiped out in 2010. Eight animals got full genome sequencing.
What they found… it was a shock.
The cattle weren’t just one type of animal. They had a weird mix.
About seventy-five percent of their DNA came from European taurine cattle. Think Jersey breeds. The other twenty-five percent? That was Indian Ocean zebu cattle. The kind you see around Madagascar and nearby islands.
The researchers figured that hidden genetic variety must have been the key.
Maybe they were already set up for this harshness. Their European ancestors lived in cooler, windier spots. They weren't totally unprepared biologically for the island’s environment.
But the inbreeding part? That was even more astonishing.
A population starting with just five animals should have faced genetic disaster in a few generations. Yet, the herd lasted over a century.
The theory is that they multiplied so fast, so quickly, that they dodged the worst genetic fallout. Field observers noted that many of the animals were surprisingly healthy, despite the total isolation.
And then there was the behavior.
Instead of physical changes first, the genome scans suggested adaptation happened in the brain. Genes linked to behavior and the nervous system showed the strongest shifts. They became more alert. More independent. Psychologically adapted to just surviving out there, way faster than their bodies physically morphed.
There was earlier chatter, back in 2017, about island dwarfism. Some thought the cattle shrank. But the new 2024 study pushed back on that. They argued the founding breeds were probably already relatively small.
The story ended, as these things often do, in controversy.
By 2010, conservationists stepped in. They eradicated the herd. It was to protect the island. Protect the fragile ecosystem. Protect native species, like the Amsterdam albatross and some rare local plants. Now it’s a UNESCO site.
But the animals themselves vanished.
Their DNA, though? That survived.
More than 150 years later, scientists are still digging. Trying to figure out what might be one of nature’s wildest, most accidental survival experiments.
Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board
Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.
More from Top News
View All
The Reality of Tech Salaries and Social Media Hype
A screenshot surfaced online recently. It was this image that really caught fire across social media. Someone posted it claiming to show a massive salary credit for a fresher who just landed a spot at Microsoft. It immediately started sparking arguments. People were debating the reality of these sta
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Accountability and Ethics: The Fallout of a Workplace Controversy
That guy from Gurugram who blew up online over a joke he made on Pranit More’s show is now facing real consequences. Himanshu Jangra was the one involved. He showed up on that episode and brought up some stuff about a date. Apparently, he said he asked for "sexual favours" in return for dinner back
Jun 9, 2026 by Gree News Team
Federal Judiciary Strikes Down Controversial H-1B Visa Fee
Donald Trump really lashed out at the federal judiciary after some Massachusetts district judge struck down his administration’s controversial $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas. It was a big deal. The ruling immediately caught the attention of immigration advocates and the Indian diaspora community. Ma
Jun 9, 2026 by Gree News Team
The Intersection of Petty Scams, Systemic Failure, and National Disillusionment
A Delhi man started this whole thing online, you know? Just rambling about what happens on the streets. It wasn't some official police report or anything formal. it was just him talking, trying to explain how these things happen, how people are getting ripped off in the shadows of everyday life. He
Jun 9, 2026 by Gree News Team
Latest Headlines
Political Speculation and Internal Turmoil within the TMC
Fresh visuals surfaced of Sushmita Dev meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. That kind of thing just kicks the speculation into high gear about her next move. It’s all about her potential entry into the BJP, right? This happened right after she stepped down from Rajya Sabha and walked ou
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
FIFA World Cup 2026: Structure, Geography, and the Official Match Ball
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is really starting to feel imminent now. It’s heading toward North America the USA, Mexico, and Canada are slated to host this massive global spectacle. People are talking about it constantly. It’s not just a standard tournament anymore. This time around, they’re throwing way
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Lionel Messi and Argentina's World Cup Journey in Group J
Argentina’s taking on Group J in this new setup USA, Mexico, and Canada it feels like more than just football now. It’s about that farewell, isn't it? Lionel Messi is chasing something special right now, playing out this final chapter with the Albiceleste against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. There’
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Federal Judge Bars Nitrogen Gas Execution in Alabama
A federal judge just slammed the door shut on Alabama’s plan to use nitrogen gas for executing Jeffery Lee. Permanently barred it, ruling the method violated basic constitutional rights about cruel and unusual punishment. This decision dropped like a stone. It came just one day after an appeals cour
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Kerala Board Plus One Results 2026 Announcement and Checking Methods
The Kerala Board Plus One results for 2026 are finally coming today, June 10th. That’s when the Directorate of Higher Secondary Education will officially announce everything. Students who took the DHSE Kerala Class 11 exams in 2026 can start checking their scores now. You have a few places to look,
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Threats and Intimidation Against Former Judge Justice Gautam Patel
Chief Justice Surya Kant stepped in on the matter involving threats and intimidation aimed at former Bombay High Court judge Justice Gautam Patel. This happened while he was visiting the UK, raising the issue with India’s High Commissioner there. It came out of a report by The Times of India. The wh
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Intersection of Art, Politics, and Public Morality at Film Screening
The buzz around the screening for ‘Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata’ was definitely something special that Tuesday evening in Delhi. It wasn't just about watching a movie; it felt like a convergence a mix of film fans, some political heavyweights, and a surprising amount of high-level government presence. P
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
The Political Feud: Shivakumar vs. Kumaraswamy and the Vokkaliga Rivalry
A meeting that hasn't even happened is already sparking political sparring. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy. It just underlines how bitter one of the state’s longest-running rivalries still is. Shivakumar was doing some outreach, a carefully choreographed exe
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Protest and Political Standoff in Mexico City Before the World Cup
A protest choked off an avenue leading right to Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium for hours on Tuesday. It was just days before that massive World Cup opening match. As football fans started flooding in, all those co-hosts the US, Canada, and Mexico you see the real mess happening back home. Thousands of
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
The Global Nuclear Arms Race: Spending, Capabilities, and Future Risks
Nearly eight decades since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And the world’s nuclear powers aren't slowing down. They keep spending more, modernizing faster, and experts are watching them move weapons out of storage and into potential use. It’s a real arms race happening right now. The nine states that hold n
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
The Chaos of Cinema: Volume, Competition, and the Shifting Market
The Friday arrived packed. June 12th. It wasn't just another day; it was a collision of cinema. Nine films, all hitting the screens at once. *Main Vaapas Aaunga*, Imtiaz Ali’s directorial effort. Then you had Kangana Ranaut’s *Bharat Bhhagya Vidhaata*. And the horror mixed in Vikram Bhatt’s *Haunted
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Stock Market Updates: June 10th Performance and Sector Analysis
Stock market updates today, June 10th. Everything turned sour in late trading Wednesday. Domestic equity markets basically gave up all those gains they managed to hold during the day. Heavy selling hit midcap, smallcap stocks, plus metals, realty, and financial names dragging the main indices into n
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Iran Football Team Travel and World Cup Arrangements
Iran’s football team is heading to Los Angeles, apparently. They announced Tuesday that they'll be flying there the day before their first group-stage game against New Zealand. It feels like a lot happening all at once. But where exactly will they be staying? They won't actually be in L.A. for long.
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
The Impact of Gen AI on Job Applications and Hiring Strategies
When you start looking for a job, everyone builds this whole structure: the résumé, that killer cover letter, tailoring it perfectly. The whole point was always that application could make you jump out from the crowd of hundreds of applicants. But honestly? Recruiters are starting to think that play
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team
Narendra Modi's Milestone: India's Longest-Serving Prime Minister
Narendra Modi just hit a huge milestone. India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister. Forty-three hundred ninety-nine days in office now. That beats Nehru's record, which was the first one. Former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu spoke about it. He praised the leadership and everything Modi has done
Jun 10, 2026 by Gree News Team