9 , ▁a ▁b ull ▁and ▁two ▁c ows ▁( one ▁a ▁cal f ) ▁were ▁gift ed ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁George ▁V ▁by ▁the ▁Afr ic ander ▁C attle ▁Bre ed ers ' ▁Society ▁of ▁South ▁Africa . ▁The ▁first ▁five ▁Af rik an ers ▁arrived ▁in ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁and ▁were ▁taken ▁to ▁the ▁C SI RO ' s ▁Bel mont ▁station ▁for ▁research ▁into ▁their ▁adapt ability ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁climate . ▁They ▁were ▁imported ▁from ▁Texas ▁and ▁Florida . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁Af rik an ers ▁were ▁being ▁b red ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁their ▁hum p , ▁as ▁this ▁was ▁uns ight ly ▁to ▁far mers ▁used ▁to ▁the ▁t aur ine ▁cattle ▁shape . ▁ ▁The ▁Af rik an er ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁abund ant ▁cattle ▁bre ed ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁however ▁problems ▁associated ▁with ▁in bre eding , ▁lower ed ▁fert ility ▁and ▁decre ased ▁re product ive ▁period ▁in ▁c ows ▁decre ased ▁their ▁popular ity ▁among ▁local ▁far mers . ▁Cross bre eding ▁with ▁ex otic ▁cattle ▁bre eds ▁may ▁have ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁decl ine ▁in ▁population ▁numbers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁Bra h man ▁to ▁southern ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Bre ed ▁Character istics ▁Af rik an ers ▁are ▁usually ▁deep ▁red . ▁They ▁have ▁the ▁small ▁cer v ices - th or ac