Lutz Heck

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Ludwig George Heinrich Heck, called Lutz Heck (23 April 1892 - 6 April 1983, born and died in Berlin) was a German zoologist, animal researcher, an animal book author and director of the large zoo in the German capital city ("Zoologischer Garten Berlin").

Together with his brother Heinz Heck, also a zoologist and director of the largest zoological garden in southern Germany, "Tierpark Hellabrunn" in München ["Munic"], he started a breeding program, which attempted - based on the knowledge of animal genetics of the time - to "recreate" wild animal species, that are today extinct, from various forms of the domestic animals whose ancestors the were (see "breeding back"). By their work they created breeds of cattle and horse - later named "Heck cattle" and "Heck horse" respectively, after their creators - that are today seen as "models" of the extinct Aurochs and Tarpan, which Heinz and Lutz Heck believed to have "resurrected" by their efforts.