The aurochs was the ancestor of the European breeds of domestic cattle. It was extincted in the 16th century. In the early 20th century a group of german zoologists tried to "re-breed" the original aurochs by cross-breeding of several primitive cattle-breeds. But the result did not fullfill the prospects. Though the offspring of these crossbreeds had a similar colour and shape like the original aurochs they were far from its enormous bigness. Nowadays Aurochs-Re-breeds are used forlandscape care.