, by Rwobuyenje Family Resort
Drive through the countryside around Mbarara and you will soon notice cattle with enormous, sweeping horns. These are Ankole long-horned cattle, one of Uganda's best-known symbols and a breed closely tied to the Ankole region.
Cattle have long held cultural importance here. They have traditionally been associated with the Bahima, a pastoral community, and a cow was far more than an animal. Cattle were given as gifts, used in ceremonies and treated as a sign of standing in the community.
Ankole was a kingdom whose ruler was called the Omugabe, until Uganda's traditional kingdoms were abolished in 1967. Even today, cattle remain part of how many people in the region describe their heritage.
The breed is admired for its dramatic horns, and outside Africa related animals are sometimes known as Ankole-Watusi cattle. Herds are kept mainly for milk and meat, and they are a familiar sight on the roads between Masaka and Mbarara.
If you would like to learn more, ask local people about the history of the Ankole Kingdom and the place of cattle in it. When photographing herds, always ask the herder first and keep a respectful distance from the animals.