Animals
Eland
Class: Mammal
Geographical Region: Africa
Distribution & Habitat
Eland are found in open plains and savannahs in eastern and southern Africa. They are sometimes found on the fringes of deserts.
Description & Behaviour
Eland are the world's largest antelopes, together with giant eland which are actually about the same size. They stand about 2m tall at shoulder, with females weighing 275-500kg while bulls weigh about 700-800kg.
A tuft of black hair grows out of the male eland's prominent dewlap, the loose fold of skin that hangs down from the neck. Adult males also have a mat of hair on the forehead that grows longer and denser as the animal ages. Usually fawn or tawny-colored, elands turn gray or bluish-gray as they get older; the oldest animals become almost black.
Both sexes have horns, which are about 65 centimetres long. The females horns are wider set and thinner than the males. Horns are used for defence against lions, leopards, and hyenas.
They can run at 60 km/h to escape predators, but tire easily.
Eland herds usually have 20 to 100 individuals, but are known to exceed 400.
Calves spend a lot of time grooming and licking each other, developing bonds even stronger than those of a calf with its mother.
Eland are wary and usually silent, but bulls utter deep throated barks when alarmed.
Reproduction
After a gestation period of 9 months, eland give birth to one calf. After birth the young lie briefly in concealment before joining a creche or nursery with other infants.
Eland may live up to 25 years old.
Diet
Eland eat grass, branches and leaves, using their horn to break off high branches and to bring them down. They are diurnal but tend to be inactive during the heat of day.
Eland can survive a long time without water, obtaining water from succulent.
Interesting information
- The giant eland is not larger than the common eland. Despite the name "giant", only this species' much larger, diverging horns make it a giant over the common eland.
- Predators in the wild are predominantly lions and the endangered African wild dog.
- The name "eland" is derived from the Dutch word for moose. When Dutch settlers came to the Cape Province they named the largest wild ruminant herbivore they met with the name of the huge northern herbivore. In Dutch the animal is called "eland antilope" to distinguish it from the moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests.
- The eland is the animal most often depicted in the early rock art of East Africa. Even today, it still holds an important place in the mythology of some southern African tribes.