In 1958, Brazilian cattle baron Celso Garcia Cid sent herder Ildefonso dos Santos to India to find a bull that could increase Brazil’s livestock. BBC. Sid was looking at the photos and fell in love with a calf named Krishna: his coat was red and white and his horns hung down. Sid immediately placed an order to buy this amazing bull. It was 1960 when this amazing bull arrived in Brazil from India.
At that time the shepherd described him as “Colossus”. He said, “Nothing that has been said about this animal proves anything – it is a Colossus.”
according to BBCKrishna, gifted by the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, proved to be a genetic revolution in the Brazilian cattle market, giving a high price to the Gir breed, which is now considered one of the most valuable breeds in the bovine embryo market. His lineage makes up 80% of Brazil’s milk production. The Indian government has sought help from Brazil to import this breed back to India, from where the breed had almost disappeared due to failed attempts at crossbreeding.
According to Cid’s grandson Guilherme Sachetim, Krishna is a turning point in the history of animal husbandry in Brazil. “He revived the bloodline of the national dairy cattle at a time when inbreeding was holding back productivity,” he said.
In fact, the advancement of genetic improvement techniques has enabled Krishna’s high-performance DNA to spread in all directions throughout Brazil. “Millions of people have enjoyed this import,” he said. BBC,
The preserved legacy of Gir Bull Krishna and Celso Garcia Cid.
Krishna’s story connects Brazil to India’s glorious heritage, which was used for cattle breeding during the reign of the Maharajas. The Maharajas developed breeds that resist lion attacks. However, Krishna’s legacy is shaping Brazil’s dairy industry, benefiting millions of people in the Americas.
His friendship with the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, both for his stately and philanthropic spirit, forever changed the landscape of the dairy industry in Brazil. He visited Celso’s farm in Sertanopolis in the early 1960s and, before his death, gave him all his cows. This not only deepened the friendship but also marked the beginning of huge advances in Brazilian livestock.
The famous bull Krishna, who played a key role in this process, left a legacy of his own. After his death, Sid placed Krishna’s body in a glass coffin and kept it safe in the farmhouse, where it remains today. A sign that someone had found drawn from between Krishna’s paws reads: “Want to meet Gir? Look at me!” – proof of the bull’s monumental impact on the breed.
Today, a top Brazilian Gir can produce up to 20 liters of milk per day. Ten times more than the original cattle brought to Brazil almost a century ago, this represents a significant jump in productivity. But this jump in productivity reflects the tremendous impact that Krishna and subsequent breeding programs have had on the dairy sector and have truly improved the lives of many farmers in Brazil.
