Tails of these animals are brown, grey or black and are always slightly shorter than the body. Proverbs are used in everyday discourse to embellish […] Meat na meat, bo. His parents would tell him and his siblings stories like this one when they would do things as a family, or, as my informant said, during long, boring parent-child time. Handled in cleanliness, always. “I boil myself in the water, and my flesh is so sweet that the soup is good.” A collection of folk stories and fairy tales from Southern Nigeria gathered by Elphinstone Dayrell, deputy commissioner of the region when the book was published. Bush rats are rarely seen because of their shy nature and nocturnal behaviour. Our People Are So Bush And Uncultured...... Picture included. More recently, intensive production of cane rats has been undertaken in countries such as Benin and Togo and agricultural extension services in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have also encouraged farmers to rear these rodents in rural and peri-urban areas. The feet can be white, pink, grey or brown and the hindfeet of Bush rats are often darker that the forefeet. A bush rat called Oyot always ate together with Emiong, a bat. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has attacked Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili over the comments she made about the demolition of two hotels for flouting government lockdown order in Rivers State. - Summary by Elsie Selwyn ... 27 - The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat download. ... “She is the house rat that tells the Bush rat … I guess because rat carry a negative stigma with them, and one of it is disease and etc but bush meat has no stigma attached to it. Morals are either explicitly stated at the end of Nigerian folk tales, or hidden within the text. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has attacked Nigeria’s former Minister of Education, ... “She is the house rat that tells the Bush rat where to go. All rights reserved. Some of the biggest threats to the Bush rat include Red foxes and feral cats, both introduced species. Females can have several litters giving birth to 4-5 young per litter. Bush Rats Nigerians eat bush rat but do not eat the ones in their homes. Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa. Why Do Nigerians Eat Bush Rat And Not House Rat? Nigeria is of age, and it is high time we nurtured her, it is high time we stood up for her, it is high time we chased away those who exploit her, who devastate her, who strangleher. Why the Bat flies by Night. This may also explain why it is a taboo to kill ewi in Nnewi or for Nnewi indigenes to kill or eat bush rat. I am not aware it is eaten in the core North of Nigeria … Price is for one stick and will ship as such unless you ask me to take it off stick, Ill happily do that for you. 28.The King and the Ju Ju Tree. The majority of individuals do not live to a second breeding cycle due to their short life span. Nigerian chophouses typically list a number of soups with meat or fish ingredients, served with either pounded yam, eba (steamed garri), semovita or jollof rice. They construct a burrow that leads down into the nest chamber and is lined with grass and other vegetation. Why do Nigerians eat bush rat and not house rat? Nigeria: Why the Bat Flies by Night The "bush rat" here is not your usual household rat; these rodents can grow up to two feet long and weigh up to twenty pounds! The King and the JuJu Tree.—This is a fine example of Ju Ju beliefs, and of an extraordinary sacrifice to a Ju Ju power located in a tree. Males in this species are larger than the females. It is called Ewi or Eyi in Igbo language I am aware that this rat is eaten in all places it is found in Nigeria which includes SE, SS, SW and NC, as well as in Cameroon and the Congos. Females nurse their young in a burrow for 20-25 days after which pups become independent. They have soft and dense fur which is grey-brown and red-brown with light grey-brown underparts. The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat Nigerian Folktale At the time of the great famine all the animals were very thin and weak from want of food; but there was one exception, and that was the tortoise and all his family, who were quite fat, and did not seem to suffer at all. XXVIII. Why Do Nigerians Think White People Are Ugly? Nigeria bushmeat industry rebounds after Ebola outbreak. It has a population of 179,926 and is well known for its Historic value to the today Nigerian state economy. The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Bush rat total population size, but this animal is common and widespread throughout its known range. Nigeria government don say make people no fear as dem dey on top monkeypox virus mata. (8525 Views), Our People Are So Bush And Uncultured...... Picture included / Why Do Nigerians Think White People Are Ugly? They mostly eat cassava and palm kernel. Bush Rats also known as Rattus Fuscipes is a native rodent here in Australia and usually resides along the coastlines where there are bush lines. Eku Ifa for offerings to Orunmila, Ikin Ifa, ritual offerings and use in ewe oogun. A saboteur.” 77Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland. Little is known about the mating system in Bush rats. The gestation period varies between 22 and 24 days. The meat business was brought to its knees by the 2014 West Africa Ebola upsurge but is now slowly recovering. XXXV. When I said bush rats, I was not referring to those ones with brown furs. 29.How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus. “Just so” stories are designed to explain features of an animal, such as their appearance or their habits. When the bat cooked the food it was always very good, and the bush rat said, "How is it that when you make the soup it is so tasty?" Special note to diaspora worshipers: This not the jutia from Cuba the Young rats leave their birthplace to find their own small territory for surviving the winter. A BUSH rat called Oyot was a great friend of Emiong, the bat; they always fed together, but the bat was jealous of the bush rat. At the time of the great famine all the animals were very thin and weak; but there was one exception, and that was the tortoise and all his family, who were quite fat, and did not seem to suffer at all. Omokri in his response said the former Minister of Education was being hypocritical and had kept quiet when Ajibola Ajimobi ordered the demolition of Yinka Ayefele’s radio house in Ibadan. Bush rats are terrestrial and prefer areas with dense undergrowth. there are no hamsters in Nigeria. Bush rats tend to avoid areas impacted by humans. looks like a f.ucking cat! Kiswahili Should Be Made The Official African Language. Typically the Bush Rat will forage on fruits, insects, seeds, arthropods, fungi and fibrous plant material. Evidence suggests that the incidence of fire can increase predation of Bush rats due to the removal of undergrowth in which they are usually able to hide. 30.Of the Pretty Girl and the Seven Jealous Women. The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat.—A "Just So Story." For the benefit of those who have not read part one of this segment, proverbs are cherished expressions in human society. Following the arrest of a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrashid Abdullahi Maina in Niamey, Niger Republic, the Nigeria Police Force says it is perfecting his extradition processes to Nigeria to enable him face trial in pending criminal proceedings against him. They have been even observed feeding on nectar without damaging the blossoms. (2) (3) (4), Post Swear words from your language here / Sexy Ethiopian Women / Kiswahili Should Be Made The Official African Language, Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10). The African Giant Rat is adapted to forests and forest scrub with a rainfall in excess of 800 mm per year. and the question is what type of rat? Fortunately the Bush Rat is not a serial pest to agricultural, households and businesses. Perhaps a bush-rat?] As is said, when the bush rat ages, it suckles at her offsprings' breasts. My informant first heard this myth from his parents in Nigeria when he was a child. nigerians eat rats? Bush rats are found primarily in the coastal regions of southwestern Australia. Maybe because the ones that run around the houses are not big enough because as far as I am concerned, they are the same. They don't mingle with house rats as they are different species, so there's no way they can carry ebola virus as speculated by some ignorant folks here. It is an omnivore and one of the most common indigenous species of rat on the continent, found in many heathland areas of Victoria and New South Wales. See How To Advertise. colony, pack, plague, swarm, horde, mischief, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19333/115146907. Burrows are constructed near the roots of large trees, especially oil palm trees, and dead tree stumps. my god thank god am somali. But the bat was secretly jealous of the bush rat. They become reproductively mature at around 4 months of age. VII. Re: Why Do Nigerians Eat Bush Rat And Not House Rat? ághwá n. bush aghwaghwa n. bush dog aghware n. wisdom aghwọn n. ‘hamster’ [N.B. because house rat carries human disease like dengue. Bush rats inhabit coastal scrub and heath, subalpine woodland, eucalypt forest, and tropical moist forest. 6.9M . In the Nigerian version the manners, customs, and cruelties are all thoroughly West African. When Emiong cooked the food it was always very good, and Oyot soon asked how his friend made the soup so tasty. Ogbia, Bayelsa State. They are not social animals and spend their life alone. Others are reared as meat popularly known as “404” especially in the southern part of Nigeria where these dogs are their best “celebrated” meat. They mainly occur in the lowlands but can also be found in parts of the Australian Alps and on some offshore islands, including Kangaroo Island. A bush rat called Oyot was a great friend of Emiong, the bat; they always fed together, but the bat was jealous of the bush rat. In the summer they consume primarily fruit, arthropods, and seeds, but in the winter their main source of food is from a particular cyperaceous species. Bush rats are terrestrial and prefer areas with dense undergrowth. The bush rats are the giants of all the rats family and neither live in filthy places nor eat filthy things, that's why it is eaten by some people. During spring and summer time they usually travel great distances and males can cover up to a kilometre for one night. In their native range in Nigeria Gambian pouched rats are found in degraded forests, forest clearings and margins, riverine areas and occasionally near human dwellings. Same reason why men leave City girls to go marry in the village. When in the forest Bush rats consume primarily fungi and various fibrous plant material. these are some big rats if i EVER seen that in my house im moving out. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable. Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria, by Elphinstone Dayrell, [1910], at sacred-texts.com. He described the former minister as a “saboteur and house rat that tells the bush rat where to go”. Bush rats tend to avoid areas impacted by humans. This Efik folktale tells the tale of a tortoise who sought revenge on a leopard, and of the bush rat that took pity. Bush rats are omnivorouse creatures. Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Why Do Nigerians Eat Bush Rat And Not House Rat? LOL. Today, we conclude our discussion on Nigerian Food Proverbs. How big is the house rat?who would waste his or her time hunting for a game that can't even feed a kid? You can read more about the cane rat (called a bush rat in the story), and also the greater cane rat, at Wikipedia. The bush rat or Australian bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) is a small Australian nocturnal animal. / Why Do Nigerians Like To Yab(insult) people? When threatened they defend themselves with boxing, threat-posture, clash or approach. Research carried out over the last two decades has allowed the selection and … “Bush meat” is a special delicacy in Nigeria so hunters use these do gs to catch the “bush rat” and hares to meet their target supplies to the “bush-bar” restaurants. Where they are found There are a number of species in this African rodent genus, of which only Cricetomys ansorgei marginally occurs In South Africa. 31.How the Cannibals drove the People from Insofan Mountain to the Cross River (Ikom) 32.The Lucky Fisherman. Nigerian folk tales include proverbs, myths, “just so” stories, and riddles. Why Do Nigerians Like To Yab(insult) people? Ogbia is a small village in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Abush rat called Oyot always ate together with Emiong, a bat. They are used to describe in a few words what would have otherwise required a thousand words. Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2020 Oluwaseun Osewa. 27.The Story of the Leopard, the Tortoise, and the Bush Rat. I know that I'm almost a year too late for this, but I could not help but reply. If you're hungry enough, you won't discriminate. They construct a burrow that leads down into the nest chamber and is lined with grass and other vegetation. You may be right but I think size matters, to me especially. But the bat was secretly jealous of the bush rat. Bush rats are small Australian animals. This folktale from Calabar tells the tale of Emiong, who played a deadly trick on a friend and paid the price for his mischief. 28 - … The leopard then implored the bush rat to cut the ropes with his sharp teeth. The bush rat was very sorry for the leopard; but at the same time he knew that, if he let the leopard go, he would most likely be killed and eaten, so he hesitated, and said that he did not quite see his way to cutting the ropes. They begin breeding around November. Elphinstone Dayrell. so the question is not whether u eat rat or not....but what kind of rat you eat? ... but more valued is the grass-cutter (also called bush or cane rat), or maybe even less familiar species. In order to communicate with one another Bush rats produce sounds, use touch, odor, and visual identification. 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