Brazil is now the fifth-largest milk producer in the world, but this was not always the case. In the 1960s, India played a pivotal role in transforming the country’s dairy industry, which is now valued in billions of dollars. The significant credit for this turnaround goes to the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, who gifted the Krishna bull to Brazil. With his distinctive reddish-white coat and characteristic downward horns, the bull—named after one of the most revered Hindu deities—made a striking impression.
As reported by the BBC, Brazilian cattle baron Celso Garcia Cid sent cowboy Ildefonso dos Santos to India in 1958, tasked with finding a bull to enhance Brazilian livestock. Krishna emerged as a genetic game-changer in the Brazilian cattle market, significantly increasing the value of the Gir breed. Today, this breed is highly sought after in the bovine embryos market, with Krishna’s lineage accounting for 80% of Brazil’s milk production.
Guilherme Sachetim, the grandson of Cid Sachetim, noted that Krishna marked a crucial turning point in Brazil’s cattle farming history. “He restored the bloodline of the country’s dairy cattle during a time when output was being hampered by inbreeding,” Sachetim explained. The high-performance DNA of Krishna spread throughout Brazil due to advancements in genetic enhancement methods. “Millions of people have enjoyed this import,” he added.
The Indian government, impressed by the breed’s success, is now attempting to reintroduce it to India, where it nearly disappeared due to poor crossbreeding practices that prevented the productivity seen on Brazilian farms.
The circumstances surrounding Krishna’s death remain unclear. Witnesses reported that he had fought with a younger bull just hours before he died.
Krishna has left behind a notable legacy. After his passing, his carcass was placed in a glass tomb at Cid’s farmhouse, where it remains today, accompanied by a sign between his paws that reads, “Want to meet Gir? Watch me!”
