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They do not give much milk but are used as beef animals and traditionally used in ceremonies.
They can cope with extreme temperatures and weather, since their daily temperatures range from -5 to +40 degrees. The large horns act as radiators; blood circulating through the horn area is cooled and then returned to the main body. This allows excess body heat to be dispersed.
The Ankole cattle are distributed from Lake Mobutu to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. The original animals were thought to have been brought to northern Uganda by Hamitic tribes sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries.
An Ankole cow might give 2 litres a day whereas a Friesian can give 40 litres a day.
Friesian cows produce much more milk, but need to be protected from disease, particularly ticks which carry 95% of African diseases and destroy cows.
Ankole cattle are the traditional breed for Uganda, and hence we have them here at Noah's Ark, because we started Send a Cow to Uganda from this farm in 1988.
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Ankole cows are one of the African breeds that are highly resistant to the local diseases. They are traditionally used as a measure of wealth or status.