In 1871, six cows were left behind by a family from Réunion on the remote French island of Amsterdam, a subantarctic territory located in the southern Indian Ocean. With no fences or human supervision, the cows reproduced rapidly, growing to a population of 2,000 by 1988. The island's unique ecosystem, which had remained relatively undisturbed for centuries, was soon dramatically altered by the presence of this large and growing herd. The cows thrived in the harsh, cold climate of Amsterdam, but their overgrazing had devastating consequences for the local environment. They contributed to the destruction of 99% of the endemic Phylica arborea forest, a type of shrubland that once covered nearly 27% of the island. This loss of vegetation led to significant environmental degradation, prompting efforts to control the herd. In 1987, a fence was built to separate part of the cattle, and over 1,000 cows were culled in 1988 and 1989. The remaining animals were confined to the northern part of the island, where a scientific base periodically harvested males for meat. In 2008, the French government issued a decree through the French Southern and Antarctic Territories (TAAF) to completely eradicate the herd. This decision sparked debate in the French Senate, with Senator Richard Yung calling for a temporary halt to the culling, arguing that the cows had a unique genetic heritage. Despite the controversy, the government proceeded with the eradication, ensuring that genetic samples were preserved in laboratories for future study. By December 2010, the herd was completely eliminated, and the island has since begun to recover. With the removal of the cows, native plants have gradually begun to recolonize the areas that were once overgrazed. The Amsterdam albatross, an endemic bird species, has shown a significant recovery, increasing from five breeding pairs in 1983 to 51 pairs in 2018. The only remaining traces of the Heurtin family's agricultural project are a name given to a volcanic flow and the preserved genetic sequences stored in a laboratory.