Butana and Kenana breeds are part of the shorthorned
Zebu
The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump ...
group of breeds of eastern Africa. What makes them unusual is that they are
dairy breeds, unlike other breeds like the
Boran
Boran (also spelled Buran, Middle Persian: ) was Sasanian queen ('' banbishn'') of Iran from 630 to 632, with an interruption of some months. She was the daughter of king (or ''shah'') Khosrow II () and the Byzantine princess Maria. She is th ...
,
Baggara
The Baggāra ( "heifer herder"), also known as Chadian Arabs, are a nomadic confederation of people of mixed Arab and Arabized indigenous African ancestry, inhabiting a portion of the Sahel mainly between Lake Chad and the Nile river near sou ...
, Fung, etc. The Butana breed is found to the east of
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan.
Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
in central
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, in the
Butana
The Butana (Arabic: البطانة, ''Buṭāna''), historically called the Island of Meroë, is the region between the Atbarah River, Atbara and the Nile in the Sudan. South of Khartoum it is bordered by the Blue Nile and in the east by Lake T ...
region. The Atbarah Research Station of the Sudanese Department of Agriculture in
Atbarah
Atbara (sometimes Atbarah) ( ʿAṭbarah) is a city located in River Nile State in northeastern Sudan.
Because of its links to the railway industry, Atbara is also known as the 'Railway City'.
Atbara's population was recorded as 134,586 dur ...
has a special mission for preserving and improving the Butana breed. The Kenana breed is found just south of Butana, mainly in the region between the
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It travels for approximately through Ethiopia and Sudan. Along with the White Nile, it is one of the two major Tributary, tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the wa ...
and the
White Nile
The White Nile ( ') is a river in Africa, the minor of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the larger being the Blue Nile. The name "White" comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color.
In the stri ...
.
Description
The Butana cattle are a deep red color, like the
Red Sindhi
The Red Sindhi is a dairy breed of zebuine cattle. It is believed to originate in western Sindh and in the Las Bela area of Balochistan in undivided Indian Subcontinent,now in Pakistan. It is widely kept in Pakistan, and distributed to Indi ...
and
Sahiwal
Sahiwal ( Punjabi / ; ; ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in central Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative capital of both Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population accordin ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. While somewhat smaller than the Sahiwal, the Butana is almost impossible to distinguish from the Red Sindhi. It is probable that the ancestral stock of the Red Sindhi was a principal component of the
Zebu
The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump ...
cattle brought from medieval India to Sudan over a thousand years ago to form the basis of the Butana breed, but that they are so identical after all this time is very surprising. The Kenana cattle are probably derived from the Butana, they are the same deep red as calves, but turn white when they are adults. The size, shape and milk production of both the Butana and the Kenana are almost identical to the Red Sindhi. This means they are by far the best dairy breeds in Africa, and tied for second place with the Red Sindhi after the Sahiwal as the best dairy breeds among all the
Zebu
The zebu (; ''Bos indicus''), also known as indicine cattle and humped cattle, is a species or subspecies of Bos taurus, domestic cattle originating in South Asia. Zebu, like many Sanga cattle breeds, differs from taurine cattle by a fatty hump ...
breeds in the world.
See also
*
List of breeds of cattle
Over 1000 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, some of which adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses.
Cattle breeds fall into two main types, which are regarded as either two closely related spe ...
External links
Production and reproduction characteristics of Butana and Kenana cattle of the Sudan
{{cattle-stub
Fauna of Pakistan
Fauna of East Africa
Cattle breeds