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The Muturu: A rare sacred breed of cattle in Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

Olufunmilayo A. Adebambo
Olufunmilayo A. Adebambo
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, P.M.B. 2240, Abeokuta, Nigeria
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Summary

The Muturu, a trypanotolerant cattle breed is probably one of the least known breed of cattle in West Africa. Little has been published on its distribution, management, morphological characteristics or biological performance.

Early reports showed that the Muturu cattle were once widely distributed across the continent from Liberia, across the West African subregion, to Ethiopia. However, due to expansion of the Zebu population and rapid urbanization, the small bodied animal came under pressure and was found surviving in pockets of the savannahs and in the humid forest zones where it had the comparative advantage of trypanotolerance. The survival of the cattle in the humid and forest zones of Nigeria stems from the fact that the animal is still sacred in so many communities and its milk is widely used for medicinal purposes. In some states of Nigeria, the semi-feral Muturu are not tended but hunted when required for sacrifice.

From a population size of 0.4 million heads in 1960, Akinwunmi and Ikpi, (1985) reported a decline in the population of the breed to 50–80 thousand in the late 1980s in Nigeria although RIMS (1992), reported a population growth to 115 172 heads. With limited data bank information on their adaptation and productivity, possible identification of genes that confer resistance to or tolerance of environmental stress in these animals will be of global significance.

Resumen

La raza Muturu, raza bovina tripanotolerante, es probablemente una de las menos conocidas del Africa oriental. Se ha publicado muy poco sobre su distribución, gestión, características morfológicas o rendimientos biológicos.

Unos primeros informes mostraban que la raza Muturu antiguamente se hallaba a lo largo de todo el continente, desde Liberia, pasando por las regiones del Africa oriental, hasta Etiopia. Sin embargo, debido a la expansión de la población de Zebu y a la rápida urbanización, los animales de pequeño tamaño se encontraron bajo presión y hallaron la supervivencia sólo en pocas zonas de savana y en los bosques húmedos, donde se encontraba la ventaja comparativa de la tripanotolerancia. La supervivencia de bovinos en zonas húmedas y de bosques de Nigeria se debe a que este animal es considerado sagrado en muchas comunidades y su leche se utiliza mucho en prácticas medicinales. En algunos estados de Nigeria los animales Muturu sólo se cazan cuando se requiere un sacrificio.

Partiendo de una población de 0,4 millones de animales en 1960 (Akinwunmi y Ikpi, 1985), se ha llegado a una población de 50–80 mil animales en Nigeria a finales de los años 80, a pesar de que RIMS (1992) indicaba una población de 115 172 animales. Dada la limitada información sobre su adaptación y productividad, resultaría de gran importancia la identificación de los genes que confieren resistencia o tolerancia a las condiciones de estrés ambiental en estos animales.

Keywords

MuturuOrigin and distributionTrypanotolerant breedsCharacterisationProductivity
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 31 , April 2001 , pp. 27 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2001

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