BASENJI  AFRICA DOG

 

Basenji Information worth knowing

           

 

 

 

 

BASENJI HOMELAND

 

According to the latest research, all dogs originate in Asia. With the migration of men, dogs also reached new areas. Even today Schensis Basenji-type dogs live as hunting dogs in the equatorial zone in Africa, in the Philippines,  on West Papua with the Korowai, on Sumatra with the Bakta and with the Dayak on Borneo under similar conditions like those in Africa. On Borneo still exist a few dwarf elephants.

 

 

In 1868/71 the explorer Dr. Georg Schweinfurth discovered dogs in Central Africa in the area Bahr-el-Ghasal.  The Africa explorer Dr. Georg Schweinfurth brought the  reliable first report about Basenjis to the western world and the drawing below. Pure bred basenjis have become very seldom in their homeland. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basenji     

 

 

 

Azande Camp ( Niam Niam )

Basenjis in their natural surroundings

1871 Georg Schweinfurth   Im Herzen von Afrika

 

 

1882 Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston found similar dogs that never barked in an expedition from the mouth of the Congo to Bolobo which he described as the Basenjis as we know it.

 

 

Vegetationskarte Afrikas.   Tiefgrün: Tropischer Regenwald.

Quelle: R. van Chi-Bonnardel, Grand atlas du Continent africain (Paris 1973).

 

 

In their homeland Basenjis inhabit two different climate zones, the savannah and the rain forest. The coat of Basenjis differs according to climate conditions. Some Basenjis develop a thicker fur than those who do not need it. Through targeted breeding, these differences unfortunately and gradually getting lost.

 

 

 

Savannah                                   Rainforest

 

 

 

The White Nile runs through the Bahr-el-Ghasal region and forms the Sudd swamps. The Nile tributary Bahr al-Arab represents the northwestern part of the border to North Sudan. Sudan is characterized in the north by savannah and arid forests and in the south by the Ituri rain forest. The Azande mainly live on the riverbanks of the Ubangi and Uele in the Ituri rain forest. In both this areas Basenjis were discovered in the 19. century by Africa explorers. 

The savannah is a tropical ecosystem, characterized by open growth ( grass lands )and quite regularly spaced trees. They occupy the transition between the arid Passat winds area and the tropical rain forest region. As a result, the vegetation of the savannah is  between the extremes of dessert and tropical forest. Because of the midyear rainfalls, Savannahs are a mixture of green vegetation in the summer and little growth during the arid times. Evergreen tropical forest developed on all continents on both sides of the equator up to 10. degree of latitude, but, mainly in South America and Oceania, also beyond that. The largest contiguous area is the Amazonas region; it covers about half of all tropical rain forest. Other large rain forest are found in the Congo Basin and Indonesia. Wikipedia  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 

 

Natural environment is the Ituri Rainforest. The Rainforest is threatened.

You can help.

 

wwf.org/ 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

The dwarfs from the Congo   Pygmies   and Basenjis as hunting dogs

1930   Photo P. Schebesta

   

 

 

 Tiki Tiki   Photo  The complete Basenji by Elspet Ford

In 1956 obtained by Dr. Chapin from the pygmies of the Ituri Rainforest

 

 

 

 

W. Uhl  Expeditionen zu den Pygmäen am Kongo Vlg. Pietsch  

  

1986 

 

 

Basenjis as helping hunting dogs with wooden bells

1972 Photo Armin Heymer

 

 

Basenji with bell   Efe pygmy

 1990  Photo William F. Wheler

 

 

 

schensi.ch/schensis.htm

Photos courtesy of Jiri Rotter

 

 

1990 imported Schensi Basenjis from Togo of the Efe 

 

 

Basenji and a herdsman

savannah hunting dogs with success

 

 

 

Dzanga Sangha

 www.wwf.de/regionen/kongo-becken/stiftung

 

 

Basenji search. Did you find the Basenjis and one puppy ? 

 cocan.de 

 

 

 

The mysterious forest elephant ( dwarf elephant ) in the rainforest of Africa

 

Photos: WWF-Canon/Rick Weyerhaeuser

 

 

 

"Dwarf elephant"

 

The WWF is campaigning for the co-existence of forest elephants and the local population, as well as for the protection of the natural habitat of these small giants. Only in large unbroken areas of rain forest is the existence of pygmy elephants guaranteed. Along with the prairie elephants, the legendary forest elephants live in Africa.  Other descriptions of the forest elephant are “round eared elephant”, “dwarf elephant” and “pigmy elephant”.

 

Because of their hidden lives, one still does not know much about these secretive animals.  They are seldom seen because in the dense forest visibility is so limited that they usually flee from any confrontation. In contrast to the three to four meter shoulder height of the grassland elephant, the forest elephant has only a shoulder height of two to two and one half meters.  A few of them are even less that two meters high.  Their ears are relatively small and round.  Their tusks are long, thin and only slightly curved.  In the thick jungle, a smaller body and downwards pointing tusks are an advantage. And make the forest elephant much more agile.

 

The rain forest provides the elephants with all the food and water they need.  They eat fruits, branches and herbs of over one hundred fifty varieties.  Forest elephants often migrate to the areas where their beloved fruit trees grow.  At the same time they spread the population of these trees through the undigested seeds in their dung.  A few of these tree species are only capable of growth after their fruits have been eaten.  Without the forest elephants these trees would disappear. One is rarely lucky enough to observe forest elephants outside of the forest.

 

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