Nelore or Nellore beef cattle originated from Ongole (Bos indicus) cattle originally brought to Brazil from India. They are named for the district of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. The Nelore has a distinct large hump over the top of the shoulder and neck. They have long legs which help them to walk in water and when grazing. The Nelore can adapt to all except very cold climates. They are very resistant to high temperatures and have natural resistance to various parasites and diseases. Brazil is the largest breeder of Nelore. Nelore have the shortest ears of most Bos indicus types. There is a naturally polled strain of the breed.
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The first pair of Ongole cattle arrived in Brazil in 1868 when they were bought from a ship at Salvador, Bahia. Two more were bought from Hamburg Zoo by Manoel Ubelhart Lemgruber from Rio de Janeiro in 1878. The most recent importations from India were of one hundred animals in the 1960s. The Nelore herd book was founded in 1875.
In the first decades of twentieth century, the favored breed of zebu in Brazil was the indubrasil or Indo-Brazilian. From the 1960 onwards, Nelore became the primary breed of beef cattle in Brazil because it is hardy, heat-resistant, thrives on poor-quality forage, and breeds easily, with the calves rarely requiring human intervention to survive. Currently more than 80% of beef cattle in Brazil (approximately 100,000,000 animals) are either purebred or hybrid Nelore,[1] making them the majority breed in Brazil. Bulls of this breed have been exported to many other countries in the Western Hemisphere, such as United States and Venezuela in the last decades.
The vast majority of Nelores created today comes from lineages that entered Brazil in the 1950s and 60's. These lineages are: Karvardi, Taj Mahal, Golias, Godhavari, Rastan, Akasamu and Padhu(4).
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