Basenji 500 Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that was bred from stock originating in central Africa. Only in North America is the breed considered to be of the sighthound type. Most of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world place the breed in the Hound Group, although The American Kennel Club has proposed realigning the dog breed groups, placing the Basenji into a new sighthound group.
The Basenji produces an unusual yodel-like sound, due to its unusually shaped larynx. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname "Barkless Dog." In behavior and temperament they have some traits in common with Cats.
Sometimes referred to as an Egyptian or African dingo, Basenjis share many unique traits with Pariah dog types. Basenjis, like dingos and some other breeds of dog, come into estrus only once annually, as compared to other dog breeds which may have two or more breeding seasons every year. Both dingos and Basenjis lack a distinctive odor, and both are considered relatively silent, more prone to howls, yodels, and other undulated vocalizations over the characteristic bark of modern dog breeds. While dogs that resemble the basenji in some respects are commonplace over much of Africa, the breed's original foundation stock came from the old growth forest regions of the Congo Basin, where its structure and type were fixed by adaptation to its habitat, as well as use (primarily net hunting in extremely dense old-growth forest vegetation).
The basenji is arguably one of the most ancient dog breeds. Originating on the continent of Africa, basenji-like dogs have lived with humans for thousands of years. Dogs resembling modern Basenjis can be seen on stelae in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, sitting at the feet of their masters, looking just as they do today, with pricked ears and tightly curled tails. Dogs of this type were originally kept for hunting small game by coursing.
Basenjis were assistants to the hunt, chasing wild game into nets for their masters. The Azande and Mangbetu people from the northeastern Congo region describe basenjis, in the local Lingala language, as mbwá na bas?´nzi. Translated, this means "dogs of the savages", or "dogs of the villagers". In the Congo, the basenji is also known as "dog of the bush." The dogs are also known to the Azande of southern Sudan as Ango Angari. The word bas?´nzi itself is the plural form of mos?´nzi. In Kiswahili, another Bantu language, from East Africa, mbwa shenzi translates to “wild dog”. Another local name is m’bwa m’kube m’bwa wamwitu, or “jumping up and down dog”, a reference to their tendency to jump straight up to spot their quarry.
The title character of the 1954 novel Good-bye, My Lady, by James H. Street, is a basenji. It's the story of a young boy in Mississippi who takes in a most unusual stray. The book was made into a movie of the same name in 1956, with a cast that included Brandon De Wilde, Walter Brennan, and Sidney Poitier.
So if you happen to be out when these Dogs are running in the Fields you will enjoy their speed and agility. They just love to run in a pack. As I placed the Cache two of the dogs had to watch and try to figure out how to get it down from its location.
Bring something to write with as I forgot to add one.
Congrats to darzorrish for a beautiful morning FTF!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gjvfg gb bcra..
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