A farmer has vowed to make his Highland cows ‘less photogenic’ through crossbreeding, in a bid to stop influencers flocking to hug them and take selfies.
Alex Birch, a cattle farmer from Derbyshire, has taken the situation by the horns and is attempting to make his cows less appealing by altering their genetic makeup.
Mr Birch, 39, said his ‘cows don’t get any peace’ from the influx of visiting influencers, adding: ‘I’ve seen the videos, I’ve seen it in person, I’ve seen someone filming a yoga video next to them.’
The farmer said he had ‘not taken the decision lightly’ but felt he had no other option than to crossbreed.
Highland cows have been in his family since his grandfather introduced them in the 1970s.
Mr Birch added the cows are regularly hassled by visitors after the animals, who roam the scenic moorland of Baslow Edge, went viral on social media for their adorable looks.
It comes after the Peak District National Park Authority warned visitors against getting too close, feeding or taking selfies with cows.
The trend has seen visitors flock from across the country to the Peak District in recent years, with a spike in interest since the pandemic.
Videos have circulated on TikTok showing visitors tickling, stroking and hugging the animals – and giving tips on how others may follow suit.
One influencer documented how to reach the cows before filming themselves stroking and cuddling the animals and their calves, captioning the video: ‘We had the best snuggles #highlandcows #peakdistrict’
Another filmed themselves stroking a calf’s head while leaning against it, before being approached by an adult with large horns. The caption read: ‘I could have stayed with them all day #highlandcow #peakdistrcit #peakdistrictnationalpark’
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.
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.
Mr Birch has gone a step further by choosing to protect his animals through crossbreeding, which entails breeding the highland cows with another hill breed in order to dial down their distinctive, photogenic appearance.
He told the BBC he once found ’30 people with their cameras flashing’ while the cows were cornered in the field.
He added: ‘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.’
Mr Birch said if someone were injured, he could be held liable for prosecution.
He added: ‘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.
‘This is not just the odd occasion, this has been going on for four years…people are so persistent.’
The Peak District National Park Authority said hugging cows is ‘highly dangerous’ and should be avoided due to being trampled, charged or attacked. The risk of which greatens when cows have calves.
