H a b i tat s The peacock is kept as a pet for its resplendent plumage but in bygone days it was a delicacy served up at special feasts.
Domesticated ducks originating from the mallard first appeared in Asia, probably in China, about 3,000 years ago. However, ducks were kept even in ancient Egypt. Apart from their flesh and eggs, the feathers are also used.
Sleigh dogs
Man tamed and started breeding the animals he was in the greatest need of for their strength, skills or meat, thus also ensuring their survival. The first animal to be domesticated many thousand years ago was the dog, which at first protected man and helped people hunt.
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Pets
The dog breeds laika, malamute and husky are still man’s most enduring helpers in the northern ice fields. The dog sleigh is not only the favourite means of transport of northern peoples but polar researchers would also be in difficulty without them. These dogs can cover up to a hundred kilometres a day at sled dog races, reaching speeds of 20 to 40 km an hour.
The domestic versions of the wild goat were among the first animals to be tamed. Their flesh, milk, skin and manure, which can be used for heating, as well as their loadbearing ability meant that goats were highly prized first in the ancient East and then around the world.
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The species of cattle that first developed 6,000 to 7,000 years ago were kept for their meat and hide and were only promoted to “employees” and “milk producers” later. They are thought to originate from the aurochs, an ancient type of wild cattle, which occurred in Europe, Asia and America.