▁In ▁the ▁past ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁cattle ▁bre ed ▁of ▁northern ▁Spain . ▁A ▁her d ▁book ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁G ip uz ko a ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁in ▁Spain ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁a ▁her d ▁book ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁Navar re ▁also . ▁However , ▁from ▁about ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁large - scale ▁import ation ▁of ▁Braun vie h ▁cattle ▁from ▁Switzerland ▁began ▁to ▁threaten ▁the ▁bre ed ; ▁while ▁at ▁first ▁these ▁were ▁pure - bre d , ▁they ▁soon ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁cross - bre d ▁with ▁the ▁Pir ena ica ▁to ▁improve ▁meat ▁and ▁milk ▁yield . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁a ▁census ▁of ▁cattle ▁in ▁G ip uz ko a ▁found ▁about ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁head , ▁of ▁which ▁less ▁than ▁ 4 0 % ▁were ▁pure - bre d ▁Pir ena ica ▁stock ; ▁the ▁remainder ▁were ▁Braun vie h ▁and ▁Braun vie h - P ir ena ica ▁cross es , ▁in ▁roughly ▁equal ▁proport ions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁head , ▁but ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁the ▁Pir ena ica ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁ext inction . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁it ▁had ▁disappeared ▁from ▁the ▁Bas que ▁Country , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁head ▁in