Least ConcernWaterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
One of the 2 elands on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Taurotragus derbianus
At high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term.
The giant eland, or Lord Derby eland, is the largest antelope in the world, with bulls that can exceed a tonne. It has a reddish coat crossed by up to fifteen vertical white stripes, a prominent dewlap and spiral horns that can be more than a metre long. It lives in miombo woodland and wooded savanna, and browses leaves and branches that it reaches by bending the branches down with its horns. The western subspecies, in Senegal, is one of the most threatened in Africa, with a few hundred animals left.
Weight
300 kg – 1 t
Size
2.2 m – 3.5 m
Life expectancy
20 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Crepuscular
Active mainly at dawn and dusk.
Social structure
Herd
Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurotragus_derbianus
Best time: The dry season, from February to May, at Niokolo-Koba (Senegal) and in the savannahs of Cameroon and Chad, when the vegetation is thinnest.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Derby Eland — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The derby eland is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 2 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about derby eland.
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the derby eland.
Be the first to comment.
