Betizu

The origins of the Betizu are unknown. The name betizu derives from the Basque: behi izua, 'elusive cow', and distinguishes it from the etxebehi or 'house cow'.^{[5]: 59 [10]} It appears in Basque mythology as Zezengorri ('red bull'), guardian of the treasure of the goddess Mari.^[11]

The Betizu is sometimes believed to be the remnant of an ancient Pyrenean cattle population adapted to survive in marginal mountain terrain;^[5]: 60 or it may derive from animals lost or escaped during the annual transhumance.^[4]: 130

In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed, and in Navarre was listed as such in 2003. At about the same time the Government of Navarre established a conservation herd at the finca of Sastoia in Urraúl Alto, in the comarca of Lumbier; management of the herd was later handed over to the Instituto Navarro de Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias [es].^[12]

In 2013, the breed population in Navarre was estimated at 254,^[13] while the number in Aquitaine was put at less than 150.^[8] In 2023 a total of 1267 head was reported from Spain, including 688 cows and 50 bulls registered in the herd-book, distributed over 41 herds;^[3] for France a population of 80–100 head was reported.^[2] The conservation status for Spain was listed as "at risk/endangered", while for France it was "at risk/critical".^[3][2]