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Beef Cattle Breeds

Ankole-Watusi: The African Sanga Breed With the Biggest Horns in Cattle

Prized by Nkole and Tutsi herders as living status symbols, the long-horned Ankole-Watusi now grazes pastures in North America too.

Where do Ankole-Watusi cattle come from?

Ankole-Watusi belong to the Sanga family of African cattle. The Livestock Conservancy says the breed arose more than 2,000 years ago from Egyptian longhorn cattle crossed with zebu longhorns from India. Sanga cattle spread across eastern Africa, and many distinct breeds developed.

In Uganda, the variety kept by the Nkole people is called the Ankole. In Rwanda and Burundi, the variety kept by the Tutsi people is called the Watusi. The two strains were later combined into the Ankole-Watusi seen in North America. The Livestock Conservancy breed profile lays out that background.

Cattle as status and ceremony

In many African societies cattle were far more than a food source. They were ceremonial animals, and ownership signaled social standing. Horn shape and size were especially valued, and African breeders most prize crescent or lyre shapes.

That cultural weight explains why the breed's most famous feature was selected so carefully. The horns have a large base and are long and symmetrical, and herders treated them as a mark of a herd's quality.

How the breed reached North America

In the early 1900s, cattle were exported from East Africa to Europe as zoo exhibition animals. US zoos and private breeders then imported them from Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. In recent decades most zoos dispersed their herds, and the cattle passed mainly to private breeders.

The Ankole-Watusi International Registry was formed in 1983 to promote the breed in North America. Its founding members had different priorities, with some valuing the exotic look and others the commercial traits. The registry's own breed information page gives its current description.

What Made It Work

The Ankole-Watusi survived because it filled several roles at once for the herders who kept it, and because a second group of keepers in North America found new reasons to value it.

The documented strengths and limits are these.

  • Heat management: blood flowing through the horns is cooled before returning to the body, which helps the animal release excess heat.
  • Wide climate tolerance: the breed tolerates temperatures from about 20 degrees F to 120 degrees F, and the horns are credited for part of that.
  • Easy calving: calves are small, about 30 to 50 lbs at birth, which makes bulls useful for first breedings with other breeds.
  • Butterfat: milk is about 10 percent butterfat, and some farmers use the breed to raise butterfat in crossbred herds.
  • Selection for display and for traits: American breeders have selected for lateral horns that increase tip-to-tip span, while others prize lean beef and maternal ability.
  • Limits: the breed suits breeders experienced with horned cattle, and its population in its home region has declined sharply.

Horns, size and color

Cows weigh 900 to 1,200 lbs and bulls 1,000 to 1,600 lbs. Coat colors include solid or spotted patterns. Dark red is most common, with dun and black also occurring.

The horns do the visual work. African breeders favor crescent or lyre shapes, while American breeders have selected for lateral horns that widen the tip-to-tip span. The Wikipedia entry for the Ankole-Watusi covers the horn records and breed history in more detail.

Beef, milk and conservation status

The breed is used for beef and dairy, with strengths in hardiness, good maternal ability, high-butterfat milk and lean beef. In its home region, its population was once large but declined sharply because of civil war, economic upheaval and government-backed crossbreeding programs.

The Livestock Conservancy lists the breed as Recovering. Readers who want more on exotic and heritage cattle can start at the ranching section of farm.FM, which also published a farm.FM story on African longhorn cattle.

Timeline

  1. 2,000+ years agoSanga cattle arise from Egyptian and Indian longhorn crosses
  2. Early 1900sEast African cattle exported to Europe as zoo animals
  3. 1920sUS zoos and breeders begin importing from Europe
  4. 1930sImports to US continue
  5. 1983Ankole-Watusi International Registry formed
  6. TodayLivestock Conservancy lists the breed as Recovering

Frequently asked questions

Where do Ankole-Watusi cattle come from?

They come from East Africa. The Nkole people of Uganda kept the Ankole variety, and the Tutsi of Rwanda and Burundi kept the Watusi. The two strains were later combined.

Why do Ankole-Watusi have such big horns?

Horn shape and size signaled social standing in African herding societies. The horns also help shed heat, since blood flowing through them is cooled before it returns to the body.

Are Ankole-Watusi raised for beef?

Yes, they are used for lean beef and for butterfat-rich milk. Small calves also make bulls useful for first breedings with other breeds.

When did Ankole-Watusi come to the United States?

US zoos and private breeders imported them from Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. The Ankole-Watusi International Registry was formed in 1983.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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