Nickson from South Sudan continued his story about dogs and also this time, talked about cats in S. Sudan.
[Photo above is of a humane ed meeting with tribal elders, held in S. Sudan in 2009]
Also in South Sudan, people name their dogs so they can call them when they are together in the bush. They usually give their dogs a traditional name, and sometimes multiple names. Amirock is a popular name, and in the Bari language means the enemy. Often the name will depend on some event or the situation/position of the dog’s owner.
Some people in South Sudan cut the tail of their dog, in the belief that the dog will be very strong and work hard for his owner. Cutting the dog’s tail is thought to take away the cowardice and to make the dog courageous in any situation.
We believe that dogs in Sudan are able to identify the people of their ethnic group. By being able to identify the different dress and different colors, a dog can tell which group he belongs to.
Also dogs are used in the bush to bring hunters back to their homes in case they are lost. We believe that dogs don’t forget the direction they came from.
South Sudanese do not eat dog meat in any form. But some South Sudanese eat cats. In a few parts of South Sudan, if you are an honored guest, you will be fed cat meat, which, in these areas, is considered the best meat.
People from some tribes, including the Moru Tribe, believe that they can change themselves into cats. If you do something that a Moru does not like, he will change himself into a cat and come for you at night and scratch you like a cat. And if you take a Moru girl and don’t pay bride price—considered an affront--many Moru members will change themselves into cats and all will come for you at night.
Cats are usually kept in shops and homes to protect them from mice and rats. When cats are young, Sudanese may feed the kitten, but when the cat is older, he is expected to hunt for himself, and little if any care is given to adult cats in South Sudan. Most of them are fairly wild, and usually don’t survive long—cats may be eaten by other animals, hit by cars, or die from some disease.
Also in South Sudan, people name their dogs so they can call them when they are together in the bush. They usually give their dogs a traditional name, and sometimes multiple names. Amirock is a popular name, and in the Bari language means the enemy. Often the name will depend on some event or the situation/position of the dog’s owner.
Some people in South Sudan cut the tail of their dog, in the belief that the dog will be very strong and work hard for his owner. Cutting the dog’s tail is thought to take away the cowardice and to make the dog courageous in any situation.
We believe that dogs in Sudan are able to identify the people of their ethnic group. By being able to identify the different dress and different colors, a dog can tell which group he belongs to.
Also dogs are used in the bush to bring hunters back to their homes in case they are lost. We believe that dogs don’t forget the direction they came from.
South Sudanese do not eat dog meat in any form. But some South Sudanese eat cats. In a few parts of South Sudan, if you are an honored guest, you will be fed cat meat, which, in these areas, is considered the best meat.
People from some tribes, including the Moru Tribe, believe that they can change themselves into cats. If you do something that a Moru does not like, he will change himself into a cat and come for you at night and scratch you like a cat. And if you take a Moru girl and don’t pay bride price—considered an affront--many Moru members will change themselves into cats and all will come for you at night.
Cats are usually kept in shops and homes to protect them from mice and rats. When cats are young, Sudanese may feed the kitten, but when the cat is older, he is expected to hunt for himself, and little if any care is given to adult cats in South Sudan. Most of them are fairly wild, and usually don’t survive long—cats may be eaten by other animals, hit by cars, or die from some disease.
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