Thursday, November 17, 2005

California cows




Well, not really Californian.. they just happen to be at a wildlife park (Safari West) in California that my friend Dephal visited!

We have here some watusi cattle (giganto horns) and some Cape Buffalo.

Have you ever seen horns so THICK? I mean, IMAGINE carrying those around on your head! It would be a real problem fitting through doorways, making calls in phone booths, sitting down at a voting booth...

Here is what the Safari West site has to say about Watusi cattle:

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Key Facts:
Size: Each horn can measure 5 feet in length with a base diameter of 6 inches.
Weight: Cows weigh 800-1200 lbs and bulls range from 1000-1600 lbs. Newborns weigh 30-50 lbs.
General Description:
One of the oldest and most exciting breeds of cattle that originated on the African continent. They possess the largest and most dramatic horns of any breed. They have short, soft hair with darkly-pigmented skin.
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Thanks to Dephal for letting me post her lovely photos!

8 comments:

Mo said...

My what big horns you have!

Melissa said...

These are some impressive bovines! I've been to SW, and these guys and gals were definitely the highlight for me.

Phyllis said...

If I were to have a pet cow, it would be a watusi. Our guide said the horns have absolutely no use whatsoever--they're just ornamental. In Africa, the bigger the horn, the more valuable the cow. They have sweet, sweet faces, too.

Peg said...

...but how do they keep from hurting each other, like ALL the time????

Knatolee said...

Damn good question!

Phyllis said...

And I don't know the answer. This group had all its eyes intact, and no obvious holes. Maybe they're just really, really careful.

Wolf Lover Girl said...

wow!
I need to get you some pictures of the long horns in Texas!

~ Wolf Lover Girl

Wild Florida Airboats said...

Wow those horns are huge! I would love to see them in person to see how big they really are.