Periyar Cow

Why in News?

The ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) has registered the Periyar Cow as an indigenous cattle breed, giving it national recognition.

About Periyar Cow

The Periyar Cow, locally known as ‘Periyar Kullan’ (Periyar dwarf), is the second native cattle breed from Kerala to receive national recognition.

The Vechur Cow was the first native cattle breed from Kerala to receive recognition, in 1996.

The Periyar Cow is also locally known as Kuttampuzha cattle and Andukanni.

Distribution

The breed is traditionally found in the Periyar River basin and adjoining plantation and forest landscapes of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts of Kerala.

Key Characteristics

The Periyar Cow has a distinctive ability to survive under semi-feral and low-input management systems as well as agroforestry conditions.

It extensively grazes on naturally available vegetation, demonstrating remarkable adaptation, resilience and ecological fitness.

It is a compact, medium-sized animal, weighing approximately 150–200 kg and standing about 105–110 cm tall.

Its coat may be brown, black or grey. It has horizontally placed ears, slightly curved horns, and a prominent hump in bulls.

Its small body size and ability to survive through natural grazing make it relatively easy and inexpensive to maintain.

Milk Characteristics

The milk of the Periyar Cow is valued for its nutritional characteristics and is classified as A2 beta-casein milk.

The lactation period generally ranges between 160 and 200 days.

Ecological Significance

The Periyar Cow is particularly suited to low-input farming systems, where it can utilise naturally available vegetation rather than depending heavily on external feed inputs.

Its adaptation to forest-fringe, plantation and agroforestry landscapes makes it relevant to indigenous livestock conservation and climate-resilient agricultural systems.