De-domestication and ethics

Our cattle and horses undergo a process of de-domestication, or ‘rewilding’. Since their wild ancestors (the aurochs and wild horse) went extinct, primitive breeds are used to fill their ecological niche. To eventually live as truly worthy replacements of their ancestors, we select animals based on their extent of self-reliance.

Even primitive breeds like Scottish highlanders, Galloway, Sayaguesa, rode geus, Exmoor pony, and konik have gone down a century long path of domestication. They were selected for human-suitable traits and/or had to meet certain pedigree requirements, disrupting their natural way of being and knowledge of living in a social herd structure.

The herds at FREE Nature now follow the opposite route: a process of de-domestication or ‘rewilding’. While by Dutch law, there is still a mandatory duty of care for individual animals, our herd managers consciously select traits that promote independent living in nature. Negative traits such as disease susceptibility, large udders, or difficulty calving independently, are deselected. Often, nature itself indicates which animals are least suited to live in the wild.

The grazers are also given the freedom to form their own social structures again. However, it is even better to, if possible, leave selection to nature itself: i.e. natural selection according to the principles of survival of the fittest.

Releasing large grazers in natural areas is a recurring topic in discussions about ethics and nature management. For this, FREE Nature has established an ethical guideline. FREE Nature manages over a thousand grazers in accessible areas. Both the management of the herds themselves and the interaction between grazers and the public lead to ethical questions:

• Is the herd manager responsible for the health of the animals?
• How does animal welfare relate to veterinary requirements?
• Is it safe to let large grazers roam in publicly accessible areas?
• How does our vision align with legal restrictions?

When to intervene and when not to, varies from case to case. Just as humans might sprain an ankle, an animal might do so too. Usually, this heals on its own within a few days. A broken leg, however, requires intervention. In doubtful cases, a veterinarian is consulted. Sometimes, even a large wound heals naturally.

Our ethical guideline clarifies our insights and positions on such questions. This guideline has been developed and tested in collaboration with veterinarians, ethicists, and regulators. Meanwhile, as managers and the public gain more experience with the behaviour of wild herds, this document provides an interim summary in a discussion that continues to evolve.