The ancestor of domestic cattle, the Auroch once ranged throughout Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The Indian subspecies was developed into the zebu, or indicine, cattle, while the Eurasian subspecies would be domesticated into taurine cattle. Aurochs were the largest herbivore after the Ice Age, though northern populations were the largest, they were on average 155-180 cm (61-71 in) tall at the shoulder and weighed in at around 700 kg (1,500 lb).

Females were much smaller and distinct in their colouring of a ruddy brown compared to the black of the bulls with their stripe of white or silver down the back. The bulls had a mighty musculature throughout the neck to support horns that were as large as 80 cm (31 inches) in length. They were athletic and quick animals and, just as in wild buffalo, extremely aggressive when taunted by human or predator.

Depicted in cave paintings, the relationship between Auroch and human was a mixed one. Though the foundation of many modern cattle breeds, they were hunted and driven from their old forest habitats by a growing human population By the 13th century, they were limited to the Balkans and hunting an arch became punishable by death.

The last Auroch, a female, would die in the Jaktorów Forest of Poland in 1627 from natural causes.

Extinction Date According to the IUCN Red List: 1627