Ankole-Watusi

The Ankole-Watusi is the one with the horns. A herd on the move looks like a slow forest of bare trees.

It belongs to the Sanga family of African cattle, which formed over 2,000 years ago from Egyptian Hamitic Longhorns crossed with Zebu Longhorns arriving from India. Sanga cattle spread across eastern Africa and split into many distinct breeds.

Two very different pressures shaped it. Cattle in Africa were ceremonial animals and stores of wealth, and a person's standing was read off their herd, with the size and shape of the horns counting for a great deal. At the same time natural selection was producing an animal that could graze rough forage efficiently and live on it.

The horns serve both masters. They are not only ornament. They disperse excess body heat, which is how the breed handles hot country.

They tolerate temperature extremes at both ends, are gentle to handle, and the milk runs high in butterfat.