basenjis in the Congo

Basenjis in their native
country of the Congo
      A Basenji Safari - by Damara Bolte

Notes from the heart of Africa - by Jon Curby


The silent hunter from Africa... also known as The Basenji

Asongo-Meno hunter

South Sudan in 1952 - Pup on left is a brindle

basenjiiafrika.jpg (9266 bytes)
The brindle pup in the back, with
tail curled up over his back is my Oliver's gr. grand father before he came to America

Hunting dog named Bobi with a face like my Mickey´s, which was what I wanted to breed
Click on the photo to read more about Bobi

Avongara M'Bliki
Photo: Pia Wright at The Basenji National 1989
Click on the photo to read more about this brindle female

Why don't they bark?
There are two theories. One details a physiological difference
between Basenjis and other dogs. Another explanation is that
Basenjis were domesticated prior to humans thinking that
barking was a desirable trait in dogs. Basenjis (and wolves)
are capable of barking, but they do not. The real answer
to this question, though, is that we simply do not know
why they don't bark.

As to the sounds a Basenji makes (similar to the Nordic breeds)
the larynx of a Basenji (on dissection) is not located in the same
place as it is for other breeds, which causes the sounds made
to be different. Yes, they do growl- but it doesn't sound like
another dog's growl, yes they can bark- but they usually bark
once rather than repeatedly. Also, the bark doesn't sound like
another dog's bark- the scream is god awful; rather like
a child/lion cross screaming.

Special effects on photo by:

Italy

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