[4] It is a Criollo breed, derived from European cattle brought to Brazil by the conquistadors; it has little or no zebuine influence.

[5] It was originally a triple-purpose breed, used for draught work and transport, for meat and for milk; in the twenty-first century it is reared principally for beef, but there are also dairy lines.

[5]: 170 The Caracu originated in the southern part of Minas Gerais, and later spread into the state of São Paulo.

[7] In 1913 an influential book by Eduardo Cotrim on cattle-rearing in Brazil, with many colour illustrations, was published in Brussels.

[3]: 149 [8] In 1976 the Instituto de Zootecnia of Sertãozinho, in the state of São Paulo, added the Caracu to its research programme; in 1980 the breed association, which had been dormant since 1960, became active again.