THE BANTHA
The bantha, an immense, hairy, four-legged creature with large curved horns, can last for a month or so without food or water, surviving on its internal reserves. This, and the fact that they are easy to train, makes them ideal beasts of burden throughout the universe. Although their planet of origin remains unknown, they can be found on a remarkable number of different worlds. From Kashyyyk, where they have been domesticated to Talasea, where feral banthas roam and possess vicious personalities and Tatooine, where they survive among the sand dunes in large herds. There isn't much to eat on Tatooine though, and they survive on the scattered vegetation that there is, mainly sandlichen mats that grow in protected hollows and just under the sand. Even though wild banthas can be quite ferocious, all banthas are actually herbivores.
The males can grow to five metres at the shoulder, the females usually being slightly smaller.
Even though they are mostly used as pack animals and mounts, on some worlds their skins are made into boots and jackets. However, these items are extremely expensive and often only worn by the wealthy. Toys and ornaments are also carved out of their horns, and some of the finer restaurants even serve bantha steaks.
On Tatooine banthas serve as loyal mounts for Tusken Raiders (also known as Sand People), who are nomads of the barren desert world. A Tusken Raider will typically capture a bantha when it is young and raise and train it. They form a deep emotional bond. If a Raider’s bantha is killed, the Raider becomes bereaved and wanders the desert trying to make peace with the spirit of his bantha partner. If his quest is successful he will find a new mount, but if it is not the sand person will perish in the wilderness. Likewise, if a bantha loses its master, it goes into a suicidal frenzy and must be forced into the wild to survive on it’s own.
The Dim-U priests (who have a monastery in Mos Eisley) believe that total understanding of the bantha will lead to a time of universal peace and prosperity.
One of the banthas in ANH was portrayed by Asian elephant Mardji, from Marine World Africa, Northern California, USA. For the bantha horns and snout, she was fitted with a lightweight headdress. The only problem was the Mardji didn’t like the costume and kept trying to take it off. Unfortunately in 1995, the animal actor passed away at the age of 44.
