Angus Cattle, Cow (Safari Farm by Safari Ltd.)

Angus cattle are a breed of beef cattle regarded as having some of the highest quality beef available. If you’ve ever perused the beef aisles at the supermarket you’ve no doubt noticed that when a cut of beef comes from Angus cattle, it is marketed as such. It is one of the few types of beef where the breed it comes from is acknowledged and used to advertise the product. Angus cattle originally come from the Angus and Aberdeen regions of Scotland and were developed in the late 18^th century. In addition to their high quality, well marbled meat, Angus cattle are notable for being docile, hardy, easy birthers, and quick growers. Angus cattle were formally recognized in 1835 and first imported to the United States in 1873. It is now the most popular beef breed in the United States, accounting for more than half of the beef cattle population.

During my farmhand days I mostly worked with two breeds of beef cattle, Herefords and Angus. For that reason, I have a fondness for the breed, and it was important that I had it represented in my cattle collection. Straying from my tried-and-true cattle brand, Schleich, I went with the Safari Ltd. Angus cow, which caught my eye while browsing their site. Although my collection is dominated by Schleich cattle I also have figures from Papo, Mojo, and CollectA. This is my first cattle figure from Safari and I’m excited to share it!

The Safari Angus cow measures 4.5” (11.43 cm) long and stands 2.75” (6.9 cm) tall at the shoulder. Actual Angus cows stand 4’ (1.2 meters) at the shoulder and average 1,150 lbs. (521 kg) in weight. Bulls can weigh up to 2,000 lbs. (907 kg). The Safari figure represents a cow, although they also make a bull and calf. Using shoulder height, the figure comes out to be 1/17 in scale. Most of my Schleich cattle are 1/18 in scale so this figure does look a bit small standing amongst them.

All the hallmarks of the Angus breed are here. The figure is painted solid black, but the breed can also be red. The body is smooth, sleek, and rectangular in shape. No horns are sculpted as Angus cattle are naturally hornless (polled). The muzzle and hooves are dark gray, and the black eyes and nostrils have a shiny finish that makes them appear wet. The figure is presented in a static pose with the head lifted high and looking slightly down and leftward, as if inquisitively watching her calf. It has a lot of personality going for it!

Of the cattle in my collection this is among the most finely sculpted. It emphasizes a lot of musculature that Schleich figures generally do not. This is especially evident on the face and forelimbs. The hair is sculpted particularly fine on this figure too, which may partially account for why the musculature is so well accentuated. Folds of skin are sculpted along the thick neck, which has a wavy dewlap along its underside that connects to sagging skin along the belly. The ears are perked forward, and a patch of hair is sculpted between the ears (poll).  Towards the rear we can see the hips protruding slightly. These visible hip bones are known as hooks and pins in the cattle industry. A tuft of hair is sculpted on the end of the tail and affixed to the right hindlimb. An udder is sculpted on the underside.

Although a bit small the Safari Ltd. Angus cow is among the best cattle figures I’ve come across so far. I still like my Schleich cattle but it’s evident that I’ll have to beef up my Safari herd, if this figure is a broader indicator of Safari’s quality. Although I only collect one figure per breed, I might end up adding the Angus bull to my collection too, which looks equally fantastic. The Safari Angus cow is currently in production and retails for about $6.