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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
ankole,
watusi, African longhorn |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Artiodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Bovidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Bos
(ox) taurus (bull) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Ankole
are large cattle with long, thick horns, which can
grow up to 1.8 m (6 ft.) long. |
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| SIZE: |
Height
at shoulders 165-198 cm (5.5-6.6 ft) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Newborn
calves weigh 4.7-6.75 kg (10.5-15 lb.). |
| MALE |
450-720
kg (1000-1600 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
405-540
kg (900-1200 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Herbivore
- includes grasses, leaves, and acorns |
|
| GESTATION: |
Gestation
lasts approximately 9 months; one offspring per
birth. |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
About
18 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
More
than 20 years |
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| HABITAT: |
Open
forests and meadows |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Ankole's
have strong herding and protection instincts. Adults
bed down in a circle facing out with calves in the
center. |
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| 2. |
Some tribes people consider ankole to be sacred
animals. |
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| 3. |
Ankole were first introduced to the United States
in the 1960s from a small seed stock in European
zoos. Exportation of ankole from Africa was banned
in the 1930s. Today, less than 700 purebred ankoles
are registered in the U.S. |
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| 4. |
Ankole
were first domesticated in parts of Africa such
as Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya for thousands of years.
These native cattle are adapted to survive several
months without ample food and water. |
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In Uganda, the Nkole tribe's Sanga variety of these
cattle is known as 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, they supplied milk to their owners,
but were only rarely used for meat production, since
an owner's wealth was counted in live animals. Milk
production was not high, with a typical cow producing
only two pints of milk daily, although an exceptional
one could manage up to eight pints. Over the last
ten 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 meat has
very little fat and lower cholesterol than other
commercial beef. |
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|
|
|
Parker, S. P. Grzimek's Encyclopedia: Mammals.
Vol. 5, New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company,
1990. |
|
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Nowak, R. M. Walker's Mammals of the World Fifth
Ed. Vol. II, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1991. |
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