Furry huskies beat the heat

Forking out up to R13 500 for one, residents keen to learn how to keep them cool.

As dusk fell on the edge of Nouakchott, Kayo the husky left a trail of paw prints in the warm Sahara sand, an incongruous yet increasingly familiar sight in Mauritania.

Traditionally bred as sled dogs in the far north of Siberia, huskies have become a popular pet in the northwest African state where temperatures regularly soar to 40°C.

"I thought he might have problems with the heat, but that's not the case," said Kayo's owner Ahmed Maham, admiring his majestic pet.

While the sweltering heat is not ideal for the Arctic breed, huskies have a great capacity to adapt, said Hela Rokbani of France's Animal Protection Society (SPA).

The dogs have two layers of fur which act as a thermal regulator, protecting them from the cold as well as the heat, she explained.

They renew their coats twice a year and automatically adapt their fur to the climate, she added.

"A husky in Siberia will therefore moult differently in Africa," she explained, while stressing Mauritania was not their natural habitat.