Meet Dr. Sosamma Iype who won Padma Shri for conserving vechur cattle breed
Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sosamma Iype of Kerala has been at the forefront of efforts to save the vechur cow. She has been bestowed with the Padma Shri for reviving the cattle breed from brink of extinction. In the 1980s, the Vechur cattle, an unique and indigenous species that is regarded one of the tiniest in the world, were on the verge of extinction. The cow, named after the hamlet Vechoor in Kerala's Kottayam district, is recognized for its excellent milk output and therapeutic properties. The cows also require less feed and upkeep. Dr Sosamma Iype says, "In the 1960s, the state government changed the cow breeding program to increase milk output," Following that, there was a significant cross-breeding of local cattle with alien bull kinds. This reduced the number of native types, such as Vechur cows, to the point of extinction. Dr. Sosamma has been at the vanguard of vechur cow conservation since the 1980s. The 80-year-old retired profes...