
Dawn breaks on the Nile on the Mundari cattle camp and a young tribesman begins his daily routine - after cleaning his teeth with a stick he douses his head under a stream of a urine from a cow.

The act will not only help prevent infection but will also tinge his hair orange.

Life in the little-documented Mundari tribe in South Sudan revolves around their prized bulls - who represent their wealth, status and dowry - and photographer Tariq Zaidi is one of the few people to capture the tribe's fascinating way of life on film.

A Mundari man takes advantage of the antibacterial properties of a cow’s urine, which will turn his hair orange

A Mundari boy drinking milk straight from the cow’s udder. They are dependent on their cattle for nourishment, status and their livelihood

A Mundari man guards his precious Ankole-Watusi herd with a rifle. About 350,000 cattle are stolen and more than 2,000 people killed each year by cattle rustlers

The tribesman continues his daily ritual.

Next he sucks fresh milk straight from one of his cow's udders then bangs a drum to alert the rest of the tribe that it's time to graze the animals.

It is not just the cows' urine that provides protection for the Mundari people. Tribesmen smear peach-coloured ash on their skin - and that of their cows - from dung fires.

It has the consistency of talcum powder and is a natural antiseptic and mosquito repellent, offering both man and bovine protection from the scorching Sudan heat.

Describing the tribe's relationship with the creatures, Zaidi said: 'Their cows are the most important thing in their lives. And they will protect them at all costs.'

As such, the tribe use rifles to watch over their large-horned herds, as a single cow or bull can be worth up to $500 (£348).

Every year in South Sudan around 350,000 cows and bulls are stolen, and over 2,500 people killed by cattle rustlers.

'These animals are treated like members of the family,' says the photographer. 'When the cattle return back from the pasture they know exactly where their masters are and where their home is – they are like dogs in that way.

'Families will sleep with their animals, wash them in ash and make sure the ground is soft and clean for them.'

A Mundari woman (left) with ritual facial scarring, typical of their tribe, and covered in ash, a natural antiseptic which also protects the skin from insects and the sun. A Mundari man (right) wakes up next to his animals and brushes his teeth with a stick

A Mundari man relaxes in the soft, peach-coloured ash and dust of a dung fire. The substance has the texture of talcum powder and offers both man and cow protection from the scorching Sudan heat

A Mundari girl helps a lamb suckle on a cow’s teat. It is not just the Mundari people who benefit from the prized cows' milk

With distinctive V scars on their foreheads, the Mundari people value tradition, particularly when it comes to wrestling and music.

The tribe, located just north of the South Sudanese capital of Juba, live communally, sharing everything from blankets to instruments.

They are among the tallest individuals in the world, and are said to tower over their prized herds. These include cattle called Ankole-Watusi – a distinctive white animal with curved horns, also known as 'the cattle of kings'.

The creatures' horns can stretch up to 8ft and the biggest bulls are adorned by the tribe with tassels.

'Every Mundari man I met had his favourite cow,' says Zaidi. 'It is his most prized possession and a reflection of himself.'

The cattle are used as both currency and as a status symbol, and form a key part of a family's pension or dowry.

After the civil war ended, thousands of men are said to have returned to South Sudan looking for wives. This return has seen an increase in 'bride price' – making these cows even more valuable and susceptible to lethal raids.

A Mundari settlement in the early evening when the cows have returned from grazing. Every cow knows to return to its master

A Mundari man washes his cows with ash to protect them from insects during the night. The camp drums can be seen in the background

On the move: The Mundari encourage their cattle to cross the Nile to get to an island where they will graze for the next few months

A Mundari tribeswoman washes herself in the Nile at sunset. After the civil war ended, thousands of men are said to have returned to South Sudan looking for wives. This return has seen an increase in 'bride price'

Tariq Zaidi has spent the last 10 years photographing tribal and indigenous people in over 30 countries in Africa. South Sudan is arguably the most unstable of these.

At least 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed since conflict began in the country in December 2013, with over 2.2million people being displaced and certain areas on the brink of famine.

The conflict has caused the nomadic Mundari people to continue to herd their cattle across the banks of the Nile.

'The ongoing war in South Sudan has cut off the Mundari tribe from the rest of the world,' says Zaidi. 'They don't venture into the town, they stay in the bush, and it why their unique way of life endures.'

For more of Zaidi's breathtaking work, visit his website and Facebook.

A young Mundari man keeps watch over the fire and his cows during the night. Cows are extremely valuable and susceptible to lethal raids

A young Mundari boy holds his precious Ankole-Watusi cow in the middle of the camp. The distinctive white animal is known as 'the cattle of kings' and has horns that can stretch 8ft

A Mundari woman clears the ground of sticks and dung before the cattle return home from the pastures. Women also milk the animals and look after the children