Ankole-Watusi (cattle)
Encyclopedia
The Ankole-Watusi is a breed
of cattle
originally native to Africa
. Its large, distinctive horns
, that can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 m) from tip to tip, are used for defense. Ankole-Watusis weigh from 900 pound. Living in the savannas and open grasslands, their diet consists of grass and leaves. The animal is sometimes known as Ankole or Watusi, and is one of the Sanga
group of types.
and limited quantities of food and water. These survival abilities have allowed them as a breed to not only survive the centuries in Africa but to become established in Europe, South America, Australia and North America.
The Ankole-Watusi is medium in size, with cows weighing 950–1200 lb (430.9–544.3 kg) and bulls weighing 1200–1600 lb (544.3–725.7 kg). Newborn calves weigh just 30–50 lb (13.6–22.7 kg) and remain small for several months. This low birth-weight makes Ankole-Watusi bulls useful for breeding to first-calf-heifers of other breeds. During the day, the calves sleep together, with an "auntie" cow nearby for protection. At night, the herd-members sleep together, with the calves in the center of the group for protection. The horns of the adults serve as formidable weapons against any intruders.
, humped cattle (Longhorn Zebu
) from the Indian subcontinent
reached Africa. There is a breed called the Sanga
that spread to the Sudan
, Uganda
, Kenya
, and other parts of eastern Africa, becoming the base stock of many of the indigenous African breeds. The Sanga demonstrated most of the typical Zebu characteristics, such as pendulous dewlap and sheath, upturned horns, and a neck hump of variable size. Modern descendants of the Sanga, however, vary greatly in size, conformation, and horns, due to differing selection pressures by different tribes.
Particularly remarkable are the cattle found in Uganda, Rwanda
, and Burundi
. In Uganda, the Nkole tribe's Sanga variety is known as the Ankole. In Rwanda and Burundi, the Tutsi
tribe's Sanga variety is called the Watusi. The Rwanda common strain of Watusi is called Inkuku. The giant-horned strain, owned by the Tutsi kings and chiefs, is called the Inyambo, though some current tribal reports claim that this type is now extinct. Traditionally, Ankole-Watusi were considered sacred. They supplied milk to the owners, but were only rarely used for meat production, since an owner's wealth was counted in live animals. Under traditional management for milk production, the Ankole cow is grazed all day, then brought home to her young calf. The calf is allowed to suckle briefly to stimulate milk letdown, then the cow is milked. The calf suckles further after hand-milking has finished and then is separated from its mother again. The process is repeated in the morning. This minimal nourishment of calves results in high death rates in the young. Milk production is not high, with a typical cow producing only 2 pints of milk daily for humans, although an exceptional one can manage up to 8 pints. In addition, the lactation period is short. Over the last 10 years, the national government has attempted to select for animals which produce more milk and have better meat production. Famine and disease, as well as the conflict with traditional practices, have slowed this effort.
Ankole-Watusi have played a pivotal role in the lives of various African tribes – Tutsi
, Ankole
, Bahima, Bashi, Bakiga
, and the Kivu
– although the Tutsi are most often associated with the breed. The cattle provided food, currency, and tribal status. In Rwanda, where the Tutsi ruled, Watusi were known as Insanga, "the ones which were found" and Inyambo, "the cows with long, long horns". Those with the largest and longest horns belonged to the king and were considered sacred, with some individuals having horns that measure 12 feet (3.7 m) from tip to tip. The breed is often referred to as the "Cattle of Kings".
Watusi first arrived in America in the 1960s when Walter Schultz imported two bulls from Scandinavia and a female from Europe. Thanks to the efforts of private breeders, zoos, and associations, this animal is no longer endangered.
for the largest horn circumference. His horns measured 36.3 inches (92.2 cm) around and were estimated to weigh more than 100 pounds (45.4 kg) each.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
originally native to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Its large, distinctive horns
Horn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
, that can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 m) from tip to tip, are used for defense. Ankole-Watusis weigh from 900 pound. Living in the savannas and open grasslands, their diet consists of grass and leaves. The animal is sometimes known as Ankole or Watusi, and is one of the Sanga
Sanga cattle
Sanga cattle is the collective name for indigenous cattle of South Africa. They are sometimes identified as a subspecies with the scientific name Bos taurus africanus. These cattle originated in East Africa, probably western Ethiopia, and have spread west and south...
group of types.
Characteristics
Ankoles are able to utilize poor quality forageForage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
and limited quantities of food and water. These survival abilities have allowed them as a breed to not only survive the centuries in Africa but to become established in Europe, South America, Australia and North America.
The Ankole-Watusi is medium in size, with cows weighing 950–1200 lb (430.9–544.3 kg) and bulls weighing 1200–1600 lb (544.3–725.7 kg). Newborn calves weigh just 30–50 lb (13.6–22.7 kg) and remain small for several months. This low birth-weight makes Ankole-Watusi bulls useful for breeding to first-calf-heifers of other breeds. During the day, the calves sleep together, with an "auntie" cow nearby for protection. At night, the herd-members sleep together, with the calves in the center of the group for protection. The horns of the adults serve as formidable weapons against any intruders.
History
By 2000 BC21st century BC
The 21st century BC is a century which lasted from the year 2100 BC to 2001 BC.- Events :Note: all dates from this long ago should be regarded as either approximate or conjectural; there are no absolutely certain dates, and multiple competing reconstructed chronologies, for this time period.* c....
, humped cattle (Longhorn Zebu
Zebu
Zebu , sometimes known as humped cattle, indicus cattle, Cebu or Brahmin cattle are a type of domestic cattle originating in South Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. They are characterised by a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears and a large dewlap...
) from the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
reached Africa. There is a breed called the Sanga
Sanga cattle
Sanga cattle is the collective name for indigenous cattle of South Africa. They are sometimes identified as a subspecies with the scientific name Bos taurus africanus. These cattle originated in East Africa, probably western Ethiopia, and have spread west and south...
that spread to the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and other parts of eastern Africa, becoming the base stock of many of the indigenous African breeds. The Sanga demonstrated most of the typical Zebu characteristics, such as pendulous dewlap and sheath, upturned horns, and a neck hump of variable size. Modern descendants of the Sanga, however, vary greatly in size, conformation, and horns, due to differing selection pressures by different tribes.
Particularly remarkable are the cattle found in Uganda, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
. In Uganda, the Nkole tribe's Sanga variety is known as the Ankole. In Rwanda and Burundi, the Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
tribe's Sanga variety is called the Watusi. The Rwanda common strain of Watusi is called Inkuku. The giant-horned strain, owned by the Tutsi kings and chiefs, is called the Inyambo, though some current tribal reports claim that this type is now extinct. Traditionally, Ankole-Watusi were considered sacred. They supplied milk to the owners, but were only rarely used for meat production, since an owner's wealth was counted in live animals. Under traditional management for milk production, the Ankole cow is grazed all day, then brought home to her young calf. The calf is allowed to suckle briefly to stimulate milk letdown, then the cow is milked. The calf suckles further after hand-milking has finished and then is separated from its mother again. The process is repeated in the morning. This minimal nourishment of calves results in high death rates in the young. Milk production is not high, with a typical cow producing only 2 pints of milk daily for humans, although an exceptional one can manage up to 8 pints. In addition, the lactation period is short. Over the last 10 years, the national government has attempted to select for animals which produce more milk and have better meat production. Famine and disease, as well as the conflict with traditional practices, have slowed this effort.
Ankole-Watusi have played a pivotal role in the lives of various African tribes – Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
, Ankole
Ankole
Ankole, also referred to as Nkore, is one of four traditional kingdoms in Uganda. The kingdom is located in the southwestern Uganda, east of Lake Edward. It was ruled by a monarch known as The Mugabe or Omugabe of Ankole. The kingdom was formally abolished in 1967 by the government of President...
, Bahima, Bashi, Bakiga
Bakiga
The Kiga people, or Abakiga , are an ethnic group located in northern Rwanda and southern Uganda. The Kiga speak a Bantu language called Rukiga. They are sometimes referred to as the Chiga or Kiga, while the singular form is Umukiga...
, and the Kivu
Kivu
Kivu was the name for a large "Region" in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko that bordered Lake Kivu. It included three "Sub-Regions" : Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema, corresponding to the three current provinces created in 1986...
– although the Tutsi are most often associated with the breed. The cattle provided food, currency, and tribal status. In Rwanda, where the Tutsi ruled, Watusi were known as Insanga, "the ones which were found" and Inyambo, "the cows with long, long horns". Those with the largest and longest horns belonged to the king and were considered sacred, with some individuals having horns that measure 12 feet (3.7 m) from tip to tip. The breed is often referred to as the "Cattle of Kings".
Watusi first arrived in America in the 1960s when Walter Schultz imported two bulls from Scandinavia and a female from Europe. Thanks to the efforts of private breeders, zoos, and associations, this animal is no longer endangered.
Record
A Watusi steer named Lurch is in the Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for the largest horn circumference. His horns measured 36.3 inches (92.2 cm) around and were estimated to weigh more than 100 pounds (45.4 kg) each.