Tears as Rescue Bull Used for Breeding His Entire Life Realizes He's Free

While the predicament of dairy and beef cows has gained more traction in the U.S in recent years, much less is known about the plight of bulls born into the intensively reared beef industry.

A rescue bull known as Batman has shed a little light on the issue in a video showing him experiencing freedom and feeling grass for the first time, after spending the first four years of his life in a stall, used for breeding.

In the video posted by the Reject Ranch with more than 1.1 million views on TikTok, Batman can be seen checking out his new enclosure, at first unsure, then after "slowly taking it all in," doing zoomies in the grass.

"It's moments like these that make all the hard work, time, and money so unbelievably worth it!" reads the caption.

It's moments like these that make all the hard work, time, and money so unbelievably worth it! #cow #cows #minicow #cowlove #cowlife #cowlivesmatter #rescue #rejectranch

Before being rescued, Batman lived as a stud, a term used for any animal that is kept alive for breeding, in this case to produce more animals for the meat and dairy industries.

"The bull semen market is very lucrative," sustainable living brand LiveKindly said. "Animal agriculture forcefully breeds animals to have what it considers the best traits for food production."

The U.S. has been exporting bull semen since 1960, and currently exports more than 30 million units of frozen bovine semen to producers in 120 countries each year, according to USA Cattle Genetics, and the global bovine artificial insemination market was valued at $2.84 billion in 2022, according to Grand View Research.

In 2011, the U.S. exported $124.7 million worth of bull semen, representing 32 percent of the global market. In February 2019, an Angus bull named SAV America 8018 sold for the record-breaking price of $1.5 million due to superior genetics, according to LiveKindly.

Bulls as young as 8 months old are used for breeding. They are kept in small stalls and various methods are used to extract semen. Artificial insemination from these bulls is the most popular way of breeding in the dairy industry. It's less common for beef cattle, "but it is popular for breeding desirable traits, particularly in purebred herds including Angus, Limousen, and Wagyu," LiveKindly says.

The industry uses the bull studs for an average of five years before they are eventually sold slaughtered for meat.

Users in the comments loved Batman's story.

"Great story. I wish the world was a better place to live," said one user on TikTok.

"People always ask what you would do if you win the lottery. THIS. I want to buy THIS kind of joy. To help others LIVE," commented another.

Newsweek has reached out to @rejectranchsanctuary via TikTok for comment.

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