Sweet Newborn Highland Calf Gets First 'Bath' From Mom and It's Too Sweet

Some mammals, like humans or cats, give birth to tiny, helpless infants, barely bale to do more in its first few weeks of life than root around for sustenance from its mothers bodies. Others are alert and mobile from birth, able to stand and even walk within minutes or hours of coming into this world. Most ungulates—four-legged hoofed animals as disparate as horses, deer, giraffes, and hippopotami—fall into this category.

But, in those few short minutes immediately after birth, you can still catch some universally tender moments between a mama and her calf, as seen in this adorable video of a Highland Cow and her newborn baby.

Here, a Highland Cow living in the American Midwest is seen only moments after giving birth to her calf. You can tell that this baby is only minutes old because the mother is engaged in bathing him with her tongue, making sure that all traces of birthing fluid and placenta are cleaned off his fur. This instinctive behavior is meant to protect the newborn from potential predators by removing the scent of blood and bond the baby and mother together.

Related: Highland Cow Does Most Precious 'Happy Hops' at Snacktime

Highland Cows have a reputation of easy calving. In most cases, the cow should simply be observed in case someone needs to step in and assist the mother with the birth should anything go wrong, In some cases, interfering with a cow giving birth can lead to the new mother rejecting the calf, so most farmers leave the moms to do there thing, as seen in this video.

Within an hour, the calf will be up and trotting around (and looking to his mom for meals). Highland Cow calves stay with their mother for about six months under natural conditions.

All About Highland Cows

Highland Cows today are prized for their unusual appearance—their long, shaggy coats and large horns—as well as the belief that their beef is lower in cholesterol than other breeds. They are actually an incredibly old breed of cattle that have been known in Scotland since the sixth century. In their home country they are often referred to as “hairy coos.” Though originally largely black in color (like this one is), it is said that Queen Victoria once remarked on how pretty she thought the orange ones were during a visit to Scotland and henceforth, they were selectively bred to have more orange cows among their population.

Today, Highland Cows that aren’t bred just for the vibes are primarily used for meat. They do produce milk, though not at the rate of standard dairy cows. Their meat is said to be leaner and of higher quality, as they do not produce as much fat to stay warm due to their long, fluffy double-layered coats.

Naming a Calf

The family who owns the farm where these cows live have taken to the internet to ask for assistance in naming their new arrival. People are coming up with adorable names from the Celtic Bo (for cow) to the extremely Scottish Dennis. Fergus, another popular Scottish-sounding name, also came up in suggestions, as did Tarquin, Clyde, and—my personal favorite—Ernie.

No news from the farmers what they finally chose.

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