A history of Ankole in South Africa
A history of the breed in South Africa
When
2003
How
Embryos
Who
Dr Morne de la Rey and President Cyril Ramaphosa
Most people know that Ankole were brought into South Africa by President Ramaphosa and Dr Morné de la Rey after President Ramaphosa fell in love with them after seeing them during a visit to President Museveni in Uganda. A nucleus herd of Ankole were bought from President Museveni and moved to the approved facility at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. These animals were flushed, and the first embryos were brought into South Africa and transferred in 2003.
How Did Ankole Become a Recognised Breed in South Africa?
Ankole cattle could not be directly imported from Uganda into South Africa because of limitations linked to diseases. The Directorate of Animal Health approved embryos from Kenya to be imported to SA – and this is how the Ankole herd in South Africa started.
The Ankole were put through extensive performance testing in line with the Animal Improvement Act. Their performance resulted in them being registered as an approved breed in South Africa in May 2019.
For more details on the process that was followed, read the article, The History of Registered Ankole in South Africa here.
