Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The caves have provided a useful sanctuary in times of trouble and were inhabited up to a
century or so ago.
ZEBU
Hilary Bradt
Thehumpbackedcattle,zebu,whichnumbermorethanhalfthecountry'shumanpop-
ulation,producearelativelylowyieldinmilkandmeat.Theseanimalsarenear-sacred
and are generally not eaten by the Malagasy outside of important social or religious
ceremonies. Zebu are said to have originated from northeast India, eventually spread-
ing as far as Egypt and then down to Ethiopia and other parts of East Africa. It is not
known how they were introduced to Madagascar but they are a symbol of wealth and
status as well as being used for burden.
Zebu come in a variety of colours, the most sought-after being the omby volavita ,
which is chestnut with a white spot on the head. There are some 80 words in the
Malagasylanguagetodescribethephysicalattributesofzebu,inparticularthecolour,
horns and hump.
In the south, zebu meat is always served at funerals, and among certain southern
tribes the cattle are used as marriage settlements, as in mainland Africa. Whenever
there is a traditional ritual or ceremony zebu are sacrificed, the heads being given to
the highest-ranking members of the community. Blood is smeared on participants as
it is believed to have purification properties, and the fat from the hump of the cattle is
used as an ingredient for incense. I have seen a Vezo village elder wearing a domed
hat apparently made from a zebu hump. Zebu milk is an important part of the diet
amongtheAntandroy;itis fady forwomentomilkthecowsbutitistheywhosellthe
curdled milk in the market.
Tourists in the south will see large herds of zebu being driven to market, a journey
that may take several days. All cattle crossing regional borders must wear a 'zebu
passport' in the form of yellow ear tags. Cattle-rustling is now a major problem.
Whereas before it was mainly confined to the Bara, as an initiation into manhood, it
is now organised by large, Mafia-like gangs. In former times the punishment matched
the crime: a fine of ten zebu would have to be paid by the thief, five for the family
from whom the cattle were stolen and five for the king.
To the rural Malagasy a herd of zebu is as symbolic of prosperity as a new car or
a large house in Western culture. Government aid programmes must take this into ac-
count; for instance improved rice yields will indirectly lead to more environmental
degradation by providing more money to buy more zebu. The French colonial gov-
ernment thought they had an answer: they introduced a tax on each animal. However,
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