British farmers plan to breed ‘less photogenic’ Highland cows to stop tourists and influencers from photographing them

A British farmer plans to breed his Highland cows to make them “less photogenic” amid growing concerns about tourists and influencers getting too close to the cows. Alex Birch, a cattle farmer from Derbyshire, said the decision was taken after numerous incidents of people approaching, filming and even trying to hug his animals. “My cows don’t get any peace,” Birch told the BBC. “I’ve seen the videos, I’ve seen them, I’ve seen people filming yoga videos next to them.” The 39-year-old said the situation had worsened in recent years, driven largely by social media trends. Highland cows grazing on the edge of Baslow in the Peak District have become a popular attraction, especially since the outbreak. Burch said he saw large crowds gathering around the animals. “On one occasion I found 30 people with flashbulbs forcing cows to the edge of a field,” he said, adding that many people didn’t understand the risks. “People just don’t understand when you tell them not to approach them and that the cows might attack them. They don’t see it as a problem, they don’t see the danger,” he said. To address the problem, Birch said he plans to cross-breed the Highland cows by crossing them with another mountain breed, which he hopes will make them less visually appealing to tourists. “The intention was to make them less photogenic… which is sad, it’s not a decision I wanted to make,” he said, adding that his grandfather, who introduced the cattle into the family in the 1970s, was “not particularly happy about it, but understanding”. Burch said the problem has been going on for several years. “This is not just a weird situation, this has been going on for four years… people are so persistent,” he said. He also expressed concerns about liability, noting that if someone is injured while interacting with an animal, he could face consequences. The Peak District National Park Authority has also warned visitors not to get too close to the cattle. The report said hugging cows should be avoided as it is “highly dangerous” and carries the risk of being trampled, jostled or attacked, especially when the cow is giving birth to a calf. Officials urged people to keep a safe distance, avoid feeding livestock and not take selfies with animals, stressing that they are not used to close human interaction.