Sub-Saharan Africa hosts a rich diversity of indigenous livestock and poultry breeds that underpin rural livelihoods in the face of escalating climate challenges. These animal genetic resources are indispensable for food and nutritional security and play a critical role in enhancing the socioeconomic and ecological resilience of rural communities, particularly those that rely on smallholder agriculture. However, climate change increasingly threatens the sustainability of these systems, marked by erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, elevated temperatures, dwindling feed and water supplies, and the proliferation of new diseases and parasites. In response, rural households have adopted a range of adaptive strategies to bolster their resilience and sustain livestock productivity. These include the conservation and promotion of indigenous breeds, diversification of livestock species, integration of crop-livestock systems, adoption of micro-livestock, and implementation of fodder preservation techniques. The capacity of households to absorb, adapt to, and recover from climate-induced shocks, collectively referred to as resilience, is central to the sustainability of indigenous animal husbandry in the region. This study explores the spectrum of climate risks confronting smallholder farmers and examines grassroots adaptation strategies. This underscores the pressing need for climate-resilient livestock systems, genetic improvement of robust indigenous breeds, and the formulation of supportive policies aimed at safeguarding and strengthening local livestock and poultry production in the region.