WILDBYNATURE
ELSABUSSIERE
SAHEL AND BARKHANE
found a new home
The story of Sahel and Barkhane :
In December 2019, two adorable female dogs were found abandoned in the Sahara desert, in northeastern Chad. They were then about one month old. There was no water nor settlement within a 40-kilometer radius. Miraculously, the team of the Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve came by and rescued the two puppies.
Barkhane and Sahel are cheerful, lively and very endearing. They are very curious, they love to run in the dunes, and are always ready for cuddles. Very loyal, they are nevertheless suspicious of strangers, as dogs are often unwelcome in northern Chad.
After endless ups and downs, in April 2021 Sahel and Barkhane flew to South Africa, where they now enjoy a caring environment with two other companions: an English greyhound and a Swiss shepherd.
The podenco breed:
The podenco might be one of, if not the, oldest dog breed in the world.
It has been downgraded from greyhounds to the class of primitive dogs. It might however be the first ever greyhound. It was called the "greyhound of the pharaohs". We find traces of this dog, 6000 years ago! It can be seen on the egyptian tombs and frescoes that illustrate the important relationship that existed already between men and podencos. The podenco was cherished and precious. It was used as a gift for special occasions. Podencos were depicted by the side of the pharaohs, identified as temple guardian dogs. Some say that the podenco was brought by pharaohs to the Ibiza island 3000 years ago, while others claim it was brought by the Moors and the Saracens. Anubis, the god of the dead, might have borrowed the head of a podenco!
SAHEL AND BARKHANE IN ENNEDI
SAHEL AND BARKHANE IN SOUTH AFRICA
