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Book your LIONSROCK accommodation here.
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Eland
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Scientific name:
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Taurotagus oryx
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Average shoulder height:
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Males: 1,7 m
Females: 1,5 m
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Body lengths:
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Males: 117 cm
Females: 109 cm
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Weight:
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Males: 700-840 kg
Females: 460 kg
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Gestation period:
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9 months
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Life expectancy:
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12-20 years
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Appearance
Largest of the African antelope. Dull fawn, sometimes with up to five vertical white stripes on the flanks; mature bulls become progressively blue-grey, especially on the neck. Calves are reddish fawn. There is a brown patch on the back of the forelegs, just above the knee. Males have a patch of stiff, dark brown hair on the foreleg overlying glandular skin. This hair is often mud-caked. The ears are relatively small. Both sexes have a dewlap with a tuft of dark hair on its lower edge, much deeper and move developed in males. Both sexes have horns, rising from the top of the head and lying back in the plane of the face, nearly straight, with a spiral ridge; longer, much thicker and much more prominently ridged in males than in females. Females have two pairs of mammae between their hind legs.
Behavior
Feeds at night when vegetation contains more water, pulling leaves into the mouth with the lips, not the tongue. Breaks down branches by twisting them between the horns, or hooking the horns over them.
Rather than sweating to stay cool, allows body temperature to rise during the day, then uploads excess Herd members groom one another. Not territorial. Males and females have separated dominance hierarchies; larger, older animals are high ranking and bulls dominate cows.
Eland are slow runners, and trot rather than galloping. When threatened by predators, herds bunch with calves in the middle, and counterattack with horns and hooves. Adult bulls can jump 2 m fences, younger animals 3 m.
Calves can stand soon after birth, and can follow the mother after 3-4 hours, but lie hidden for up to 2 weeks. Calves will follow any adult, and try to suckle from any female. Females aggressively repel sucking attempts by calves other than their own. Calves are more closely bonded to other calves than to their mothers, and form crèche groups within the herd.
Reproduction
Single are born after a gestation of nine months. In KwaZulu-Natal mating December-January, most births September-October. In western Mpumalanga births August-October. Birth weight 32-36 kg, male calves are heavier than females; weaned at 6-8 months. Females first calve at 2-4 years; males mature at 18 months but do not mate until they reach high dominance rank. Females are infertile after 15 years.
Diet
Predominantly a browser, but will eat green grass, which is the bulk of the diet in summer. Prefers grass burned within the past year. Browses on both leaves and twigs, and also takes fruit and berries. Will eat dry fallen leaves. Can be a problem in crops and is very difficult to fence out.
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Bank account name:
LIONSROCK PARK
Bank and Code:
First National Bank - South Africa FNB-230133
Account No: 62165825583
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