Sahelian goat

Sahelian

Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk DAD-IS (2024): not at risk
Other names	Arab Arabe Arabi Arabia Bariolée du Sahel Batha Chèvre Bariolée Chèvre du Sahel Chèvre du Sahel Burkinabé Fulani Gorane Kanem Lac Massakori Maure Mayo Kebbi Moussoro Niafounké Nioro Peul Sahel Somali Arab Touareg Voltaïque West African Long-legged Western
Distribution	twelve African countries Iran
Use	meat skin milk
Traits
Weight	Male: 40 kg Female: 27 kg
Height	70–80 cm
Horn status	horned in both sexes
Beard	often present
Tassels	often present
Goat Capra aegagrus hircus

The Sahelian is an African breed or group of breeds of domestic goat. It is used to produce meat, goatskin and milk. It is distributed in twelve African countries, principally in the Sahel region from which the name derives, but also in other parts of Africa – in the Central African Republic, Ghana, Somalia and Togo; it is also present in Iran. The largest population is reported from Mali, where in 2015 there were about 35 million head, or about 75% of the total population of almost 48 million.

History

Although domestication of the goat took place in Asia, the Sahelian – like other most African goat breeds – is considered indigenous to the African continent, as it has developed there over some thousands of years. It falls within the broader grouping of Savanna goats, which also includes numerous Saharan goats from Egypt and the Maghreb. Its principal range extends from the Atlantic coast of Mauretania eastward as far as central Chad, and lies mainly to the north of the 12th or 14th parallel. It is kept mostly in nomadic herds, in arid or semi-desert biomes.