Ankole-Watusi Longhorn Cattle
Nov 03, 2024
Ankole-Watusi cattle, with their extra-large horns, are among the most striking members of the bovine kingdom. (Ankole-Watusi Longhorn Cattle)
Livestock Conservancy– Ankole-Watusi cattle, with their extra-large horns, are among the most striking members of the bovine kingdom. Herds resemble slow-moving, multicolored forests of bare trees as their horns sway with every step. The Ankole-Watusi breed is part of the Sanga family of African cattle breeds which originated over 2,000 years ago from a combination of the Egyptian (Hamitic) Longhorn cattle and the Zebu Longhorns that arrived from India.
Sanga cattle spread throughout eastern Africa, and many distinct breeds evolved. Cattle have traditionally been valued in Africa as ceremonial animals and symbols of wealth and power. Their ownership established one’s position in society, and the beauty of one’s cattle herd – especially the shape and size of their horns – was significant.
Watusi Cattle
Natural selection also played a role in creating cattle that were both hardy and efficient grazers able to thrive on rough forage. The horns are part of adaptation to a hot climate by allowing dispersal of excess body heat. This unusual combination of selection pressures has resulted in a resilient breed of great beauty. Particularly remarkable are the cattle of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. In Uganda, the Nkole tribe’s variety is called the Ankole, while in Rwanda and Burundi, the Tutsi tribe’s variety is called the Watusi. When the cattle were exported from the region to Europe and later to America, these strains were combined.
Unlike the purposeful importations of many breeds, the path of the Ankole-Watusi to the US was indirect if not accidental. The cattle were initially exported from East Africa to Europe during the early 1900s for use as exhibition animals in zoos. United States zoos and individual breeders then imported Ankole-Watusi cattle from Europe during the 1920s-1930s.
In the last few decades, most zoos have dispersed their collections, putting most of the cattle into the hands of private breeders.
(Ankole-Watusi Longhorn Cattle)
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