Mali cattle crossings

Centuries-old tradition

The season of cattle crossings along the River Niger in Mali is under way.

The first crossing for the cattle is at the town of Diafarabe, 350km (220 miles) north-east of the capital, Bamako.


The tradition goes back many hundreds of years and has been recognised by the UN as a world cultural heritage event.

Best clothes

The crossing is a time of celebration. There is music, dancing, feasting and people wear their best clothes for the day.

Cattle are central to the lives of the Fulani people - a traditionally nomadic ethnic group - who live across West Africa.

Rich grass

The cattle have been away for months grazing as far north as the Sahel, the semi-arid savannah belt on the fringes of the Sahara.

When the rainy season is over they start heading for the southern side of the River Niger to feed on the rich grass, known as "bourgou", that the rains have left behind.

Seeking a bride

Each family chooses two to four young men aged between 10 and 16 to go with the cattle on the trip north.

This gives the young men the chance to prove themselves as good herdsmen.


For them, the crossing is the first time they will see their families again after the long journey.


Many engagements also happen around this time so there is the opportunity to impress a potential bride.

Where's the beef?

Crowds wait on the other side of the river to watch the spectacle.

The cattle wait in small groups to swim across the river.


When the time comes for a group to cross they often need some prompting as the water can be very cold.


The herdsmen yell and beat the cattle with sticks to get them moving.

Drownings

Keeping the cattle together is not an easy job.

Some of the young boys swim across the river to make sure that the groups of cattle stay apart.


In previous years cattle have drowned during the crossings as groups became mixed up together.


The smallest calves are taken across by boat.

Cattle jabs

The crossing is also a time to ensure all the cattle have had the correct vaccinations.

Officials observe the condition of the animals and judge the amount of animal feed that might be needed for the coming year.

Booby prize

A competition also takes place to choose the herdsmen who have the fattest cattle.

There are prizes for the winners and they are the stars of the day.


The herdsmen who are deemed to have done the worst job also get a prize – a single peanut.


By Martin Vogl, BBC News, Mali