Breeds of Fouta Djallon
The highlands of Guinea, homeland of the N'Dama, a small humpless cow that resists sleeping sickness.
Breeds of this place
Best time: November to March, the dry season.
The Fouta Djallon is a highland region of plateaus, valleys and waterfalls in central Guinea, the source of the Niger, Senegal and Gambia rivers. Fula herders have long kept here the N'Dama, a small, humpless cattle breed. Unlike most cattle, the N'Dama can survive in areas where tsetse flies spread trypanosomiasis, the disease known as sleeping sickness in cattle.
The N'Dama
N'Dama cattle are fawn to red, small and lyre-horned, with no hump. Their tolerance of trypanosomiasis makes them valuable across the humid parts of West and Central Africa, where other cattle sicken. They have been taken from Guinea to many neighbouring countries and to research herds. In the Caribbean, N'Dama blood went into the Senepol breed.
Highland herding
The Fula of the Fouta Djallon built a state here in the eighteenth century, and cattle remain central to their life. Herds graze the plateaus and valleys, and milk is made into butter and soured milk. Labé, the region's main town, is a market for cattle and farm produce.
A trail idea for Fouta Djallon
- Labé The main town of the highlands and its markets.
- Highland plateaus Grazing land where N'Dama herds feed.
- Waterfalls of the Fouta Falls in the valleys around Labé and Dalaba.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Fouta Djallon" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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