October 4, 1997

Dying Breeds

Livestock are developing a largely unrecognized biodiversity crisis

Milking Devons. Imported from England during Colonial times, this breed has since become extinct in its homeland, now surviving entirely in small populations in North America. The pair of oxen shown here are among four males used as draft animals at Colonial Williamsburg. This outdoor, living museum also has 12 females. As of 1990, there were only 120 of these animals registered in the United States.

Credit: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation