Page 49 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 9

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W
Let us look again at the Idis (to distinguish
them from the western bred Azawakhs) and
read in Dr. Röder:
"The generation change of the Azawakhs in
the Sahel is ... very fast... (Different coat
colours are listed) - all in all once more the
repetition of the finding that the colour
limitations of the FCI standard are an
unrealistic European desk product.
The periodic changes in the appearance of
the population can probably be attributed to
the interaction of several factors: on the one
hand, to a rapidly changing selection of
strong males, which dominate a larger
'catchment area' with their genetic material
only for a comparatively short period of
time; on the other hand, to the birth
sequence of the females, which usually
begins in the first year, and which, with
their additionally reduced life expectancy,
are quickly replaced by the next generation
of mothers with new genetic combinations."
(34).
This statement must be supplemented by
the way the individual families of the
Tuareg, Bella and Peulh move nomadically.
They migrate, according to seasons, many
hundreds of kilometers to their summer
pastures and return to their winter camp.
But where are these summer pastures?
4 9
Certainly not all in the same place! So there
are seasonal groups that can, but do not
have to, meet again and again in summer or
winter or even on the way. Therefore, the
very different movement areas are also
very different bases for different breeding
partners.
If we take alpine pasture management in
the European Alps as an example, we see
that several cattle owners share a common
place and common herdsmen on the high
alpine pastures, and after the herds have
been driven down, they are led back to
their home farms in the valley in autumn.
Thus a temporary common basis for
different origins of individuals is created
there as well.
When Dr. Röder speaks of a "landrace", the
reproduction of the Idis refers to the
absence of breeding in the western sense:
the animals intended for breeding are not
deliberately mated with each other. The
Idis in Africa move freely and the dominant
male in each case mates with the bitch in
heat, who in turn chooses her male.