Watusi cattle (Bos taurus taurus watusi) are a strain of the Ankole group of cattle, named after the Tutsi tribe in Africa whose traditions include spectacular dances. Tutsi (Watusi) people arrived with their massive horned Ankole cattle in present-day Rwanda and Burundi around the 14th century. In Uganda, the Nkole tribe's variety is called the Ankole, while in Rwanda and Burundi, the Tutsi tribe's variety is called the Watusi. This Ankole-Watusi breed is part of the Sanga family of African cattle breeds which originated over 2,000 years ago from a combination of the Egyptian (Hamitic) Longhorn cattle and the Zebu Longhorns from India. Sanga cattle spread throughout eastern Africa, and many distinct breeds evolved. The Ankole-Watusi does not have the zebu’s hump, but the Ankole-Watusi is above all remarkable for its enormous horns, each of which, at their base, can have a circumference of 50 cm and a record length of 1m 50! Also known as Ankole Longhorn, its large distinctive horns that can reach up to 8 ft (2.4 m) from tip to tip are used for defence and cooling by honeycombs of blood vessels. To the herding nomads of the Tutsi, Bahima, Ankole, and Kivu cultures, owning a Watusi brings respect and status. They are bought as a way to represent their wealth.
