BCOA Bulletin January-February-March 2008 - the Basenji Club of ...

BREEDERS’ FORUMNotes presented at the 2007 BCOA National Specialty Breeders' Forum by Margaret Sommer onthe African import.ESENJOJune 6th 1983 - Telephone notes:On the sixth of June 1983, Ireceived a phone call from LouisClark, whose veterinarian had referredhim to me. He wanted to breed hisfemale, and said it had beena longtime dream ofhis to breed her.She was from theIturi Forest in theBelgian Congo,and had been bred bythe pygmies of the Lumbashi tribe. He hadimported her in 1978 whenshe was ten weeksold. He had photos and papersand she had been"certified" by the president ofZaire where he hadworked for Morrison-Knudsen on the Inga-Shabatransmission line from Boma to Kawizi, and he hadreceived her from the pygmies.The pygmies were hired as laborers on the line, and Louiswanted to get a basenji from them, but they refused him. They hadmany, but didn't give them away. They used them for hunting andcarried them on their shoulders.During a drought, Louis killed two buffaloes, and gave themto the pygmies who gave him the puppy in appreciation. She wasgold with white points, and he had clocked her at 40 mph as anadult.I told Louis I would think about it and call him back.(Louis' wife, Cathy, later told me the pygmies weren't allowed tokill animals, and they had worked with Louis on the road crew.She called it "a political scenario." The natives had been under thedictatorship of President Mambuto Sese Seko since 1965. Whenthe pygmies offered the pup to Louis they had to say it was fromthe president rather than from them.)June 7. 1983 - telephone notes:I returned Louis' call, and made anappointment to meet him and Esenjo withher papers the next day.June 8" 1983 - Meeting! with Louis Clarkand Esenio:Accompanied by Herbert Holloway,an elderly gentleman friend, Louis broughtEsenjo to meet us. Also in attendancewere Sandra Bridges, Penny Inan, andmy mother, Edith Anderson, whom I hadinvited to attend. We were all in agreementthat Esenjo was purebred. Her "papers"were an export veterinary certificate fromthe Republic Du Zaire.I agreed to breed Esenjo to RamesesTut-Ankhamen (call name "Friend") inEsenjoThe Basenji Club of America, Inc. BULLETIN - 24exchange for second pick of the litter,and I would help him place the puppiesin pet homes. Friend was heavily linebredon Fula of the Congo, and wassired by Ch. Pero's Krugerrand out ofShetari's Peppermint Patty (Eng/Can/Am Ch Fulafriend OTC x Ch FulaNefertiti OTC CD). The pups weredue August 11 th •Interview with Louis Clark byMargaret Sommer. Penny Inan,and Sandra Bridges ... notestaken by Sandra Bridges ... June8" 1983Hunting and feeding - thedogs get the best of the kill first, and also the bones for theirteeth. Pygmies eat the meat raw, and drink the blood. The dogsdo, too. Kwanga root (tapioca) is the main diet during the dryseason. The pygmies make bread and all eat, including thedogs.Color – all tan. None darker.Markings - a little white on feet, chest, tail tip.Dogs have their own huts. No other confinement.Size - approximately 18" tall, 18 ~ "long. 25-26 pounds.Dark eyes, solid black nose (no pink tinge).It is cold in the mountains. They migrate from Lumbashi toKolwezi to Kasongo (upriver) to Kuba to Kinshasa to Cabindato Matadi back to Kinshasa and retrace. Temperature is 65-70degrees in the dry season, but the humidity is HIGH. The dogsjust follow. They keep 12 or 13. No fights amongst them. Theylove children, hate strangers, and can fight a lion! They do as theyplease. Eat grass. Climb trees! Clocked at 40mph. There are noEuropean dogs. They don't like other breeds. The dogs don't likeblack Americans. The pygmies don't like other breeds of dogs. Thepygmies do bury dogs.Louis Clark was given a puppy for a couple of buffaloes hegave them during a drought. Clark took the pygmies, Endo andElotato, with him to Kinshasa to witness that the puppy was a giftso he could get her out of the country. Asengo is Lingala (which hasa thousand words) for happiness. Asengo isEsenjo.FriendThe women nurse the puppies if thereare too many. There are 8 or 9 puppies ina litter, and all live. There are 150 Pygmiesto a clan. Clark has seen dogs of fourteenyears with teeth still as good as ivory. Alltails are a single loop - none any curlier.No drop ears. Eyes are LIGHT. All eyesare light. Feet are between a cat and a harefoot. Eyes are hazel, a yellowish brown.The dogs obey the pygmies, but are notpets. They can jump eight feet. No fleas,ticks or mosquitos. Esenjo paces when shewalks.They hunt as a pack - ahead of the men,