Kanni
Encyclopedia
- for the villages in Kyain Seikgyi, Burma see Kanni I, Kyain SeikgyiKanni I, Kyain SeikgyiKanni is a village in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Kawkareik District, in the Kayin State of Burma . It is located on the Zami River.-External links:* Maplandia World Gazetteer...
and Kanni II, Kyain SeikgyiKanni II, Kyain SeikgyiKanni is a large village in northern Kyain Seikgyi Township, Kawkareik District, in the Kayin State of Burma . It lies on the left bank of the Haungtharaw River just upstream of where it flows into the Gyaing River.... - for the village in Kalewa, Burma see Kanni, KalewaKanni, KalewaKanni is a village in Kalewa Township, Kale District, in the Sagaing Region of western Burma.-External links:*...
- for the village in Banmauk, Burma see Kanni, BanmaukKanni, BanmaukKanni is a village in Banmauk Township, Katha District, in the Sagaing Region of northern-central Burma.-External links:*...
The Kanni, which means maiden
Maiden
Maiden or Maidens may refer to:* A female virgin; see virginity* Maiden name, the family name carried by a woman before marriage; see married and maiden names* Maiden, the first of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess...
, is a rare indigenous
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
South Indian dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
found in the state of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. The breed is a further extension of the Caravan or Mudhol Hound
Mudhol Hound
The Mudhol Hound is an Indian breed of dog of the sight hound type. The breed is also known as Caravan Hound and the feathered variety is commonly referred to as a Pashmi. In the villages he is known as the Karwani...
, and is also a descendant of the Saluki
Saluki
The Saluki, also known as the Royal Dog of Egypt and Persian Greyhound is one of the oldest known breeds of domesticated dog. From the period of the Middle Kingdom onwards, Saluki-like animals appear on the ancient Egyptian tombs of 2134 BC. They have connections both to the Bible and Imperial...
. It is used mainly for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
.
Appearance
In general appearance, the Kanni is similar to a smooth-coatCoat (dog)
The coat of the domestic dog refers to the hair that covers its body. A dog's coat may be a double coat, made up of a soft undercoat and a coarser topcoat, or a single coat, which lacks an undercoat...
ed Saluki or a Doberman Pinscher
Dobermann
The Doberman Pinscher or simply Doberman, is a breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Doberman Pinschers are among the most common of pet breeds, and the breed is well known as an intelligent, alert, and loyal companion dog...
with natural ears and tail. The dog is usually black and tan in colour, perhaps with limited white on the feet and chest. There also exists a cream-coloured variety of the breed, which is known as "Paalakanni". The Kanni is agile, slim, graceful, and moderately built, with a deep chest and slim body. The dog generally stands about 25 inches at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, the bitch about 22 inches, though some specimens have been known to reach 32 inches.
Temperament
The Kanni is usually shy but will always defend it's home/master if the need should arise. They are a silent breed and are not nuisance barkers. The Kanni is extremely faithful and easy to train but they will always think independently when on a hunt. They are also used to hunt deer as they are extremely agile and strong while remaining light on their feet.History
The Kanni is found in and around TirunelveliTirunelveli
Tirunelveli , also known as Nellai , and historically as Tinnevelly, is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Tirunelveli District and the sixth biggest city in Tamil Nadu...
, Pollachi
Pollachi
Pollachi is a taluk of Coimbatore Rural district of the Tamil Nadu state of India. It lies in the southern part of the Coimbatore city around 40 kilometres from downtown Coimbatore. This is the second largest town in the District after Corporation of Coimbatore. Owing to the proximity to the...
, Kovilpatti
Kovilpatti
Kovilpatti , also known as Covilpatti, is a special grade municipality in Thoothukudi District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Belongs to Kovilpatti constituency...
, Kazhugumalai, Kileral, Kodangipatti, Sivakasi
Sivakasi
Sivakasi is an active town and a municipality in Virudhunagar District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the capital of India’s firecracker industry with about 8,000 factories, big and small, producing 90 percent of the total fireworks output.It is also known as "kutti japan" meaning "small...
, and Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
. It is said that the name Kanni ( which means Unmarried Girl) comes from the fact that the dog used to be given as a gift to the bridegroom just before the marriage. In fact, it was in the list of dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
items offered to the groom.
They are usually of four colours, brown, cream, black & tan
Tan (color)
Tan is a pale whiteish, tawny shade of white. The name is derived from tannum used in the tanning of leather.The first recorded use of tan as a shade name in English was in the year 1590....
and brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
.
The Kanni is kept by families who do not sell them but may gift them if a promise is made to look after them well. They are not allowed to roam on the streets and brought up as pet animals.
They are given a diet of milk in the morning, corn porridge in the afternoon and a "Ragi" porridge in the evening. Meat is given once a week or once a month only.
The breed is now extremely rare, and on the verge of extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
. Efforts to revive the breed have not been taken up, as specimens are few, and there exists little information about them.