Rare breeds in Bulgaria: Karakachan horses, Karakachan sheep, Karakachan dogs, Kalofer goats and Breznishka sheep
Karakachan people are livestock breeders - a remarkable group of Balkan nomads, one of the oldest ethnic groups in Europe. Their valuable, ancient local breeds of livestock (Karakachan sheep, Karakachan horse and Karakachan dog) are primitive, pure domesticated forms of sheep, mountain horses and livestock guardian dogs: tough and adapted to severe mountain conditions. In the 1950’s they were forced to settle and to give up their traditional way of living. Their flocks disappeared. Now only small groups and individuals of the three breeds survive in remote settlements. Their numbers decrease annually and nowadays they barely survive. In 1991, we started our first activities to study the status of the Karakachan dog and to undertake urgent measures to save the breed. We started Investigations about the sheep and the horse in 1997 and in 2000 we set up this project to save the three breeds. We now own a flock of Karakachan sheep protected by Karakachan dogs, two groups of Karakachan horses and a breeding station for Karakachan livestock guardian dogs. We breed them in a traditional way. You can join our activities for saving these traditional breeds as a part of the natural and the cultural heritage of Bulgaria.
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