Alex Birch, a cattle farmer from Derbyshire, is crossbreeding his Highland cows to make them less photogenic to deter influencers from taking selfies with them. Crossbreeding entails breeding the Highland cows with another hill breed to dial down their distinctive, photogenic appearance. The specific hill breed being used and how long the crossbreeding process will take to achieve the desired effect remain unknown.
Highland cows have been in Alex Birch's family since his grandfather introduced them in the 1970s. The cows roam the scenic moorland of Baslow Edge. The cows went viral on social media for their adorable looks. Visitors have flocked to the Peak District in recent years, with a spike in interest since the pandemic, drawn by the cows' photogenic appeal.
I've seen the videos, I've seen it in person, I've seen someone filming a yoga video next to them.
Videos on TikTok show visitors tickling, stroking, and hugging the animals and giving tips on how others may follow suit. The videos have contributed to a wider craze for Highland cows, with visitors traveling in droves to locations such as Butser Hill in Hampshire over the Easter Bank Holiday. Alex Birch once found '30 people with their cameras flashing' while the cows were cornered in the field, highlighting the risky visitor behavior prompted by the social media craze.
The Peak District National Park Authority warned visitors against getting too close, feeding, or taking selfies with cows. Queen Elizabeth Country Park, which manages the nature reserve, urged visitors to 'not touch or approach' Highland cows amid the hike in social media attention, citing safety concerns.
People just can't understand it when you tell them not to approach them and that the cows might turn on them. They don't think it's a problem, they can't see the danger.
If someone were injured, Alex Birch could be held liable for prosecution. This liability risk is a key motivation for his crossbreeding plan to mitigate safety concerns, as the farmer seeks to reduce the animals' appeal to influencers and prevent potential accidents.
We are going to breed them out, we are going to cross them with different hill breed. The intention is to make them less photogenic...it's sad, it's not a decision I wanted to make, my grandfather is not particularly happy about it but he does understand.
We had the best snuggles #highlandcows #peakdistrict
I could have stayed with them all day #highlandcow #peakdistrcit #peakdistrictnationalpark