Taurus Domesticis

Of the various Taurus species on Ymir, the Taurus Domesticis is the only domesticated species so far, a fact made even more impressive by the fact the animals initially domesticated themselves. Nowadays, they are trained as beasts of burden by Homesteaders, replacing the need for oxen and draft horses.
Initially, the Homesteaders ignored the varying Taurus herds near their lands. They held cattle in plains and chased off any predators that came near these areas. Then, in YY 14, a Homesteader discovered a Taurus herd had joined their cattle. The Science Department investigated and came to the conclusion that the species could be domesticated.
Since then, various Homesteaders have started protecting and training Taurus herds. While they do not use them for meat, except for after natural deaths, they do employ them for labour. While unsuited for riding, a Taurus Domesticis can be easily trained to pull or carry large loads. Many Homesteaders employ them when transporting cut trees, which they are more suited for than horses due to being less easily spooked.

Research

The Science Department has performed experiments to analyse the various Taurus species, including autopsies on deceased specimen. They have concluded that despite none of the species being aggressive towards humans, only the Taurus Domesticis shows a strong domesticatable tendency. Intelligence-wise, they rank comparable to horses.
As for why the initial Taurus herd joined the cattle, the main theory is simply that it was a safe environment. With the Homesteaders protecting their cattle and chasing off predators, they created a safe area where the herd could live with less concern about being hunted. By joining the cattle directly, their strength in numbers added extra safety.

Scientific Name

Ymir Taurus Domesticus

Lifespan

16 - 23 Years

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Average Height

1.5 - 1.7 metres

Average Weight

340 - 880 kg

Average Length

2.6m

Average Herd Size

50~140 adult members

Aggression

None against humans, defensive against predators

Health Safety

Safe for consumption

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The following is a Scribed transcription of a radio-conversation between two Homesteaders, submitted to the Science Department in YY 14.

████████████ > "Uhm, y'all? I got a problem with my herd."
████████████ > "What, did some get eaten?"
████████████ > "No, more like the other way 'round?"
████████████ > "Uh... Your cows ate a predator?"
████████████ > "No, I mean, my herd doubled in size? A Taurus herd joined them... I'm gonna inspect my herd, will shout if I get attacked."

The following Scribed conversation took place between the same individuals as the previous conversation. It started 813 seconds after the previous conversation ended.

████████████ > "Okay, still alive, no worries. They were real docile, even the bulls. Anyway, so some cows were limping a bit. So I was carefully inspecting hooves, and suddenly one of 'em Tauri walked up to me. Spooked me, but she just offered me her hoof. She had some thorns stuck in there, so I removed those, and then she just walked off 'gain."
████████████ > "Aight. So first thing you do, is inform the Science Department. Second, you go home, get yourself a good bottle of 'shine, and celebrate discovering a domestic species."