Boenca
(local/other name)

(most common name):
• Thomton
(local/other name):
• Boyenca
• Thornton (see NOTE below)

The Boenca is a local variety of the N’Dama that originated from importations of N’Dama cattle from the mountainous areas of Fouta Djallon in Guinea.

The Boenca is bred for meat and has a unicolor coat of various shades of yellow to brownish.

The Boenca was previously concentrated on the massif of Madina Do Boé (now called Boé) — a town located on the Corubal River in southeastern Guinea-Bissau. Boé is famous for being the site of the declaration of independence from Portugal put forth in 1973.

(French, adjective) massif = massive
(English, noun) massif = a compact group of mountains

Varieties of N’Dama and stabilized/fixed N’Dama crosses include:
• Bambara
• Djakoré
• Gambian N’Dama
• N’Dama Grande
• N’Dama of Kaarta
• Guinean N’Dama
• N’Dama × Jersey
• N’Gabou
• Thomton (Boenca)

NOTE:
There is disagreement in sources on the names Thomton and Thornton. DAD-IS (since 2017) lists Thomton as the most common name in Guinea-Bissau; MASON (all versions) only lists the name Thornton; FELIUS does not list either name.

This page was last updated on: 2023-08-30

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