Breeds of Lake Chad and the Kuri
The islands and shores of Lake Chad, home of the Kuri, cattle with huge swollen horns that swim between grazing grounds.
Breeds of this place
Best time: November to February, the cooler dry season.
Lake Chad, on the southern edge of the Sahara, is shallow and shifting, with islands of reed and grass. The Buduma and Kanembu people who live around it keep the Kuri, a humpless cattle breed found nowhere else. Kuri swim from island to island to graze, and their great horns, thick and light inside, may help them float.
The Kuri
Kuri cattle are large and pale, often white, with horns that swell into wide, bulbous shapes. They are humpless, unlike the zebu around them, and adapted to a life in water and wet pasture. They give a fair amount of milk. As the lake has shrunk and zebu herds have moved in, crossing has reduced the number of pure Kuri.
A lake that changes
Lake Chad has shrunk greatly since the 1960s, and its area varies widely from year to year. Its shores and islands are shared by herders, farmers and fishing families from Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon. Insecurity in parts of the region in recent years has made life harder for many communities, and visits need care.
A trail idea for Lake Chad and the Kuri
- Bol The lakeside town and its market.
- Lake islands Reed islands where Kuri herds graze.
- Herders' camps Where cattle come ashore after swimming between islands.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Lake Chad" 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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