An old Dassanech man protects his crops from birds using a leather slingshot and stones. Large flocks of Quelea birds can be particularly destructive to ripening seed crops like millet grown along the banks of the Omo River.The Dassanech speak a language of Eastern Cushitic origin. They practice animal husbandry and fishing as well as agriculture.The Omo River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and flows for over 600 miles before discharging its waters into the northern end of Lake Turkana. Once a year following rains in the highlands, the river rises and bursts its banks, flooding the low-lying plains. After the water has subsided, the Dassanech plant crops in the fertile soil. Without flooding, there would be no agriculture because the annual rainfall is too low.