Any
visitor to Uganda will tell you one of the most exciting animals you will see
outside the national parks is the magnificent long horned Ankole cow. These
beautiful ancient cows are originally from the Ankole region in western Uganda
but can now be found in most parts of Uganda and in Rwanda. In Rwanda, they are
aptly called Inyamba and are known as the cows of royalty/kings.If you’re lucky,
you will find yourself pleasantly delayed at a point in your journey as aherd
crosses the road.The president of Uganda who is of Ankole origin is said to own
a herd of up to 5,000 cows.
Ankole cows have been in Uganda
since the middle ages and are said to have descended from Sanga cows in Ethiopia
whose origin can be traced back to Europe via Egypt. In fact, images of long
horns can also be found in ancient Egyptian art.
Ankole
cows have imposing horns, the largest and most dramatic horns of any breed of
cattle in the world. Horns can grow to have horn bases that measure 28 inches
in circumference, 8 inches in diameter and 2.5 metres from tip to tip. The
horns vary from lateral almost flat growth to an upswept arched shape known as
lyre, sometimes with the tips almost touching. These huge horns were used by
the cows to protect themselves against predators like hyenas and leopard. The
cows banded together and formed a circle with the horns on the outside. They
also act as a natural cooling system by circulating blood through to the ends
of the horn to disperse the heat before returning it to the body.
These
proud owners do not keep the cows just for the beef and milk but also for the
pride that comes with having more cows.
Ankole
cows are so revered and are still a sign of wealth and pride for the owners.
These cows were so important legend has it that once the theft of a king’s
favourite cow led to a full scale war that claimed hundreds of lives.
The
cows are considered sacred by the Ankolebecause in days gone by, theAnkole
people’s lives wholly depended on the cows. The cattle provided food in the
form of meat and milk for domestic consumption. They provided a vital source of
food when none would otherwise have been available especially in times of
drought. In the harsh environment in which this breed has adapted for
centuries, survival was the primary consideration in their evolution. Through
all of these years the became highly tolerant to brutal extremes of tropical
Africa. They were rarely slaughtered for meat, except in ceremonies such as the
coming of adulthood, the funeral of a loved one. Even when slaughtered, it was
taboo to slaughter a young or health cow. Slaughtering a healthy cow was the
equivalent of cannibalism. As such, only the infertile or old cows were
slaughtered for meat. Pastoralists rarely ate meat but occasionally drained
blood and mixed it with milk to make a yogurt like high protein drink.
The cows are now a vital source of
income for herders who rear them for beef and milk. Ankole cows are also a
valuable gift for dowry. It is the most important gift one can give.
Their
dung is used as organic manure in banana plantations as well as for plastering or
smearing of huts and houses. For the cows in Rwanda even the dung is used to
create art.Last but not least the horns and the skin are used for decoration.
The beauty of these
fascinating cows has caught the eyes of many including the president of South Africa
Cyril Ramaphosa who bred one in South Africa and recently sold one of his cows
for $150,000. Ankole cows have been taken to far flung lands like Ethiopia, UK,
Kenya, Egypt, Sweden and U.S.A.
Given these events and a
history of profiting from the cultural heritage of indigenous tribes, a Kampala-based
law firm, KTA Advocates patented the long-horned Ankole cow as a unique
livestock specific to Ankole region in particular and Uganda in general. KTA Advocates say the protection of the image
of the long-horned Ankole cow will be under the
Geographical Indications Act of 2013.
If you are a meat lover then
you can enjoy the road side barbeque beef on sticks or a steak.
-
For more history of Ankole kingdom
and Ankole cows:-
Igongo Cultural Museum
Igongo Cultural Museum
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