Ankole Longhorn Cattle
Bos taurus
Family:
Bovidae, the cow, goat and sheep family
Conservation Status:
Listed as a recovering breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Range:
From Lake Mobutu to Lake Tanganyika, Eastern Africa.
Habitat:
From Lake Mobutu to Lake Tanganyika, Eastern Africa.
They are large cattle with a short neck, deep dewlap and sloping rump. They vary in coloration from solid red, to fawn, to spotted black. They have long, symmetrical horns which are thick at the base and taper to a point.
Domesticated for over 6,000 years, Ankole are grazers, like other cattle, eating primarily grasses and shrubs that may be supplemented with grain by their owner. Their digestive systems can utilize food of poor quality and limited quantity.
Cows can breed any time of the year. Gestation is 9 months. They usually give birth to one calf, but can have twins. Newborns weigh between 30-50 lbs. During the day calves stay with an “auntie” cow for protection while the rest of the herd leaves to graze and at night they sleep in the center of the herd. Usually only calves are vulnerable to predation from African carnivores. Adults that become separated from the herd can also be vulnerable to predation.
Ankole live where temperatures can range from 20-120 degrees F, and have therefore developed the large horns, which are honey-combed with blood vessels, to help with thermoregulation.
Fun Facts: A steer named Lurch is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest horn circumference of 10 feet.
