A rare breed of cow is now a symbol of Latvian pride- and it's blue! A hundred years ago, the blue cows were once numerous along the Baltic Sea. This hardy breed can stay outside through the winter if necessary, will thrive on coastal grasses that are inadequate for other cows, and they are so maternal that they will raise any orphan or abandoned calf. With the rise of the Soviet Union, it seemed as though the blue cow's days were over. The Soviets valued production over variety, and the blue cow does not produce milk in the quantities that other breeds do, so they were almost driven to extinction. In 2000, there were only 18 blue cows left.

Two factors help bring back the blue cow- the fall of the Soviet Union, and a sense of Latvian national pride in the cows sparked by a 1970 play. Thanks to increased demand, there are now 1500 or so blue cows in Latvia, kept as both both farm stock and tourist attractions. Read more about <a href="https://phys.org/news/2022-01-herd-moos-latvia-blue-cow.html">the blue cows of Latvia</a> at Phys.org.&nbsp; -via <a href="http://strangeco.blogspot.com/">Strange Company&nbsp;</a>#cow #cattle #bluecow #Latvia