The development could lead to herds of ruminant animals that contribute far less to global warming than their everyday counterparts.

Normal cows are responsible for nearly three-quarters of the world’s total methane emissions.

Methane is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide in affecting climate change.

Writing in the Journal of Animal Science, Stephen Moore of the University of Alberta in Edmonton says that primary tests have been completed into using traditional animal husbandry methods to breed animals that produce 25 percent less methane than typical cattle.

Moore says another way to cut down on bovine emissions is to accelerate growth, so the animals spend less time on the ground from when they are born until they are slaughtered.

Breeding cows that are more efficient in converting feed into muscle would also produce less waste, he says.

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