Question

According to the textbook, why are large areas of east Africa devoid of cattle today?

A. Changes introduced by European intruders caused the spread of the tsetse fly, which carries illnesses that are fatal to both humans and livestock.

B. The natives of the region practiced a scorched earth policy of defense against European intruders in which they slaughtered their own herds and burned down their own villages.

C. European cattle farmers resented the cheap imports that flowed into the continent after colonization, and colonial administrators were pressured to destroy millions of animals owned by natives.

D. African cattle transmitted diseases to Europeans that the native peoples had resistance to, and the subsequent substitution of European cattle breeds for African breeds proved unsuccessful.

Answer 1

Large areas of east Africa are devoid of cattle due to the introduction of cattle diseases such as rinderpest by colonizers, leading to the spread of tsetse flies and sleeping sickness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The large areas of east Africa are devoid of cattle today primarily because colonizers introduced cattle diseases to the region, most notably rinderpest. This disease, brought to the Horn of Africa by Italians, quickly spread through herds across eastern and southern Africa, heavily impacting livestock populations. The environmental change, with diminished herds leading to the flourishing of thornbush shrubs, created an ideal habit for the tsetse flies, which transmit sleeping sickness both to humans and animals. This shows the extensive and long-term ecological disruptions caused by colonial practices and the introduction of non-native diseases to the region.