The Muturu cattle, Nigeria’s indigenous breed

`Muturu’, meaning humpless, is the Hausa name for the West African Shorthorn in Anglophone West Africa. Since the second half of the first millennium B.C., Muturu cattle were the most widespread breed of Nigeria until the Fulani invasion, which started in 1820 (Felius 1995).

The breed is a variety of West African Shorthorn. Generally, two types of Muturu cattle have been identified: a larger Savannah-type and a Dwarf-Forest type, which appears to have evolved through adaptation to the humid forest environment.

Most of the Muturu cattle of Nigeria belong to the Savannah type, spread over the Benue plateau, and smaller numbers are found further to the Southwest in Oyo and Kware. This breed is also found in the Southeastern coastal area of Ghana.

The typical coat colour of forest Muturu is black and that of the Savannah Muturu is black and white. Height at withers is 95 cm for males and 88 cm for females. It is the smallest cattle breed known.

Despite their abundance in Nigeria, they are not considered as safe. The biggest threat seems to be pressure from the numerically superior zebu, especially through crossbreeding, and the increasingly popular N’Dama, through replacement.

The Muturu is found in areas heavily infested with tsetse, as a result of which this breed has adapted and naturally selected to be tolerant to trypanosomosis, ticks and tick-borne diseases although it is susceptible to rinderpest.

They are used for socio-cultural purposes. In Igboland these cattle are traditionally sacred and considered as properties of the local deities or they are dedicated to a shrine. Muturu cows are seldom milked. If milked, their yield per year was reported to be 421 kg. The friendly animals are sometimes used for work.

Although the weight of the Muturu is low as compared to many zebu and sanga breeds, their high fertility, tolerance to trypanosomosis, and cultural roles make them an important breed in their traditional breeding areas.

The animals and their hides are used mainly for ritual sacrifices and ceremonies, particularly funerals. They are also commonly kept as pets or, frequently, they are used for prestige or dowry purposes.

- agriturf.com