Cattle of Kings, Wildlife Safari-Oregon
Wildlife Safari Watusi, Oregon
Watusi have played a pivotal role in the lives of various African tribes – Tutsi, Ankole, Bahima, Bashi, Bakiga, and the Kivu – although the Tutsi are most often associated with the breed. The cattle provided food, currency, and tribal status. In Rwanda, where the Tutsi ruled, Watusi were known as Insanga, "the ones which were found" and Inyambo, "the cows with long, long horns". Those with the largest and longest horns belonged to the king and were considered sacred, with some individuals having horns that measure twelve feet from tip to tip. The breed is often referred to as the "Cattle of Kings".
Watusi first came to America in the 1960s when Walter Schultz imported two bulls from Scandinavia and a female from Europe. Thanks to the efforts of private breeders, zoos, and associations, this animal is no longer endangered. A Watusi steer named Lurch is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest horn circumference.
Uploaded on April 27, 2010