Livestock

Cattle

livestack-images

The existence of both Bos taurus and B. indicus cattle in Ethiopia are evidences of cattle diversity in the country. Even though Zebu type (indicine) or humped cattle are dominantly found, the first African cattle were humpless Bostaurus animals that they were initially distributed north, as well as south to the borders of the tropical rainforests. Today, the only remaining descendants of these indigenous African taurine cattle in East Africa are the trypanotolerant Sheko breed (FAO, 2015). Ethiopia is the home of diversified cattle breeds due to its diversified agro-ecology, topography and its nearness to Asia where most domesticated animals in Africa (EBI, 2016) were originated.