TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

THE KEL TAMASHEQ
the two somehow meet while grazing (a not uncommon occurrence),
neither comes back to camp. When the pasture is consumed beyond
this limit, the camp and herds must move to another permanent
water source or pOl8ibly, if it is near the usual end of the dry season
or if the source is beyond the capabilities of the animals to walk, the
group may remain and try to eke out a living until the rains come. In
either case, and especially when the rains are delayed, a considerable
toll is taken in animals.
Such extreme conditions do not occur every year, but they serve
to illustrate the critical balance that exists between man and land at
all times in a marginal environment. Nomadic life requires a sensitive
evaluation of the needs of animals and an awareness of where the
optimum supply of water and pasture can b~ found. Increase in
population or change in environmental conditions may bring nomads
into competition for these limited resources. It seems likely that
these mechanisms were at work 4,000 years ago when the prehistoric
pastoralists were being forced out of the Sahara to find new and more
permanent water sources.
During the wet season, an entirely different set of considerations
dictates the location of camps and the time of movement. The needs
of animals are no longer critical-new gr&81 is growing and water
is available everywhere in streams and shallow lakes. At this time,
the mature nonlactating animals (which until now have been totally
independent of the camps and wandering freely in search offood and
water) are rounded up, a process that may take several weeks. When
all the animals have eaten enough new gr&81 to regain strength lost
during the hot season, the camp and its cOllllOlidated herds embark
on a month-long journey to areas of salt earth ("terre ,tUee") which
are generally located to the north on the edge of the Sahara (the
precise area differs for each region). This trek serves both a health
and a social function. In the first case, it allows the animals to graze
on salt grasses and drink water of high mineral content, which the
nomads believe is necessary for the health of both their animals and
themselves. In the second, since related tribes usually frequent the
same terre ,tUee, this is a time offeasting, competitive sports (camel
racing, wrestling), and, above all, courtship.
During the wet season, the camps usually move each day or every
other day, although the exact speed and frequency of movement
depends on the strength of the young animals that are usually being
born at this time; for example, newly born camels must rest at least a
day after birth before they can travel, and even then they may not be