Africa and the Cattle Without History

Abstract

African historiography of tsetse-borne trypanosomiasis has yet to fully embrace the genetic basis of cattle tolerance to the disease due to the literature’s emphasis on human illness and landscape modification. By the early 1980s, empirical research indicated that N’Dama cattle possessed a heritable tolerance to trypanosomiasis that could be strengthened through breeding. The Gambia’s first president, who was a former veterinary surgeon, contributed to the breed’s reappraisal. In exploring this history, I show how an international scientific network positioned The Gambia as a supplier of N’Dama breeding stock for livestock developments in sub-Saharan Africa. My argument is that research on cattle genetics has theoretical consequences for writing about the history of African tsetse ecosystems.