And speaking of new births, the elusive panda cow has been born to farmers near Springfield, OR. I was skeptical at first, assuming that a "panda cow" was something that the local news media had made up to compensate for a dearth of legitimate news stories in southwestern Oregon. It turns out, much to my surprise, that a panda cow is a real breed of cattle. Extremely rare, the panda cow is a miniature breed distinguished by its white band around the midsection and, in ideal cases, black patches over the eyes on an otherwise white face. In 2010, a panda cow in Colorado generated some press. Now it's Oregon's turn:
"I was coming out to check on the cows. I normally do that when I get the newspaper in the morning and I noticed we had an addition to the family," said Bernie Perkins.
...Bernie and Theresa Perkins say what's really remarkable is the breeding. The calf's mother is a panda cow, but without true markings and she was mated with a tan Belted Galloway. "It's like winning the bovine lottery. To get what appears almost perfect panda to me. I can't even explain the odds," said Mr. Perkins.
