Two watusi steers were introduced into their new habitat at the Virginia Zoo on Thursday.
Watusi steers are a domesticated species developed in Africa more than 2,000 years ago. They weigh from 900 to 1,600 pounds with lightweight horns that can measure up to 8 feet from tip to tip and 8 inches in diameter.
“They’re very energetic and fun to watch,” said Greg Bockheim, the Zoo’s executive director. “Their horns are spectacular – the largest horns of any cattle species.”
The two watusi steers at the Virginia Zoo are Diallo, born in July 2012, and Gamba, born in August 2012. They will eventually share their new habitat in the Zoo’s Okavango Delta exhibit with Hartmann’s mountain zebras, once they are settled.
