Taking one look at this adult animal, it is not difficult to guess how the Watussi bull differs from other breeds. The species has the largest horns in the world among other artiodactyls, which can reach a tip-to-tip length of 2.4 meters. In the cow kingdom, these striking representatives of the fauna deservedly bear the name “bulls of kings”, and in ancient times they were considered sacred. The history of the origin of the breed is interesting, as well as the significance of Wattusi bulls for humans in ancient times and their place in the modern world.
Description of Watussi
This exotic breed of cow originated from Africa, the people of Rounda and Burundi call it Watussi, and the neighboring Ugandan Nkole tribes named their horned bulls "Ankole". The Tutsi tribe calls this breed in its own way - “Inyambo”, which means “cow with very long horns”. In many regions of Africa, representatives of this species are still considered sacred.
There are two versions of the origin of the Ankole-Watusi bulls:
- according to the first version, indigenous Africans claim that Watussi is an independent breed that arose 6 thousand years ago, the ancestor of which was an ancient relict bull (tur);
- According to the second version, the breed dates back 4 thousand years, and its ancestors are the primitive wild aurochs (Bos taurus), which came to Africa from the banks of the Nile, Indian humpbacked zebu bulls and Egyptian cows.
In fact, genetic research shows that the truth is somewhere in the middle. In the genes of modern Watussi bulls, traces of both wild aurochs and the Egyptian cow and Indian bull were found.
Regardless of who the ancestor of the breed is, the main feature of the species is its huge horns: it is for these that it is valued. By the way, if a Watussi bull is deprived of its pride - horny growths, it will be absolutely no different from other representatives of the cow kingdom.
The distance between the tips of the horns of an adult is, on average, about 1.5 m. However, on good pasture and with proper care it can reach 2.4 - 3.7 meters. Bulls with cylindrical or lyre-shaped horns are especially valued. Males of the Watussi breed, on average, weigh 600 - 700 kg, females - 450 - 550 kg, which is slightly inferior to the ancient wild aurochs, whose weight reached 800 kg or even more. The height of a cow reaches 170 cm, its body length is approximately 2.5 - 2.6 m. The Watussi bull usually lives 27 - 30 years.
The greater the distance between the tips of the horns and the wider they are at the base, the more valuable the animal. The lucky owner of the most beautiful “crown” is given sacred status and the title of king of the herd. Previously, such bulls were given to a herd belonging to the king, who had only the best representatives of the breed. However, the price for this position is heavy, because the weight of one horn ranges from 45 to 50 kg, and wearing such “decoration” is not easy.
Interesting fact: on May 6, 2003, the Watussi bull Lurch, who wore horns with a diameter of 2.5 m and weighing 45 kg each, entered the Guinness Book of Records.
The horns of Ankole-Watussi bulls have not only a decorative function: they serve as a kind of air conditioner, with the help of which the animal’s body temperature is regulated. This occurs due to the blood vessels that permeate the hollow horny growths: the blood circulating in them is cooled by the air flow and disperses further throughout the body, preventing the animal from overheating. This is very important for bulls, since the African climate is very hot: the air temperature in the shade often reaches +50 degrees Celsius. That is why animals with the largest horns are considered the most valuable. After all, they are better adapted to the climate than others, which means they are more tenacious and have a higher chance of producing good offspring.
Spreading
Despite the fact that the historical homeland of Watussi bulls is Africa, this breed quickly became widespread throughout the world, due to its unpretentiousness in food and maintenance, as well as its good adaptability to climatic conditions.
After 1960, Ankole Watusi began to be bred in America, where the breed quickly spread throughout the continent. The population of American Watussi bulls numbers approximately 1,500 animals.
On the territory of the post-Soviet space, Watussi cows can be found in Crimea and in the Askania-Nova nature reserve. In addition, many zoos around the world want to get this handsome bull, which is not so easy. Africa remains the main habitat of the rare breed.
Lifestyle
In wild natural conditions, the Watussi bull lives and grazes in open areas of steppes, fields and savannas. The climate in Africa is hot, which does not contribute to excessive mobility of animals due to the risk of overheating.Therefore, even bulls of this breed are distinguished by a calm disposition and show aggression only during the mating season, in the form of fights and attempts to defend their right to reproduce. Otherwise, both wild and, especially, domesticated animals are slow and calm.
Since the vegetation in the vast expanses of hot Africa is quite sparse, Watussi cows had to adapt to local nutritional conditions. They are able to digest and extract all the beneficial substances from literally any vegetation they find. An adult bull needs to eat up to 100 kg of feed, a cow needs a little less - up to 60 - 70 kg. Therefore, these artiodactyls do not disdain even the most meager and coarse food, squeezing everything out of it.
It was the ability to adapt to harsh climatic conditions, the ability to do without water for a long time and be content with meager food that made this breed so popular among the peoples inhabiting Africa.
Unlike their ancestor, Watussi cows have very good genetics, which contributes to the continued preservation of their original race. In males and females, puberty occurs simultaneously, at approximately 6–9 months. Bulls are ready for mating at any time, but for heifers this period directly depends on the sexual cycle. This time often occurs in early spring, when the rainy season arrives and ends towards mid-May. After a 9-11 month pregnancy, the Watussi cow gives birth to one or two calves weighing from 17 to 23 kg.
Huge horns make this breed invulnerable to almost any predator and, if necessary, able to fend for itself. Watussi cows have a well-developed maternal instinct and very jealously guard their offspring.At night, the entire herd herds the young animals into the center, and the adult bulls are located in a circle, protecting the calves from possible danger with their powerful weapons - their horns.
Role in a person's life
Since the Watussi bull was and is still considered a sacred animal in many African tribes, the breed is not bred for meat. On the contrary, the wealth of the owner is calculated in the number of healthy livestock.
Since ancient times, these cows have been used as a source of milk, and due to the fact that the breed does not have a special milk yield (only approximately 1.5 thousand liters per individual per year), a special milking technology was invented that increases the productivity of cows.
During the day, the cow is isolated from the herd: she grazes separately. And only in the evening and in the morning is she allowed to see the calf, which is allowed to drink only a few sips. This stimulates greater milk production, but the young animals suffer and, in fact, are on a starvation diet. Therefore, it is not surprising that only a small percentage of calves, the strongest and most robust, survive, while the rest simply die from malnutrition and disease. This barbaric way of African tribes to increase milk yield became the reason that the population of the Watussi breed began to gradually but inexorably decrease.
In addition, Africans use cows of this breed for bloodletting, daily consuming blood mixed with milk as a tonic and strength-giving nutritious protein drink. Some tribes believe that the blood of the sacred Watussi cow is endowed with certain mystical properties that give the person who drinks it supernatural strength and endurance. Thus, one adult animal must unwittingly share approximately four liters of blood per month with its owner.
These cows, giving their milk and blood, became a real salvation for African aborigines, an opportunity to maintain human vitality and not allow them to die in particularly difficult times.
If you look at the breeding of Watussi bulls from the point of view of European or Russian livestock farming, then the breed does not have any particular industrial value. This is, rather, an exotic type of cow that cannot boast of any special milk yield.
Conclusion
The African Watussi bull, which has incredibly beautiful and majestic horns, unfortunately, is gradually losing its population. And, first of all, this is due to the savage method of increasing the amount of milk yield, which is accepted among African aborigines. However, nature reserves in America and Europe are trying to maintain the numbers of this type of bull so that the majestic animals do not disappear from the face of our planet forever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avkyjWe37rc
