Eland
Description and Identification:
Shoulder height Males 1,7 m
Females 1,5 m
Body mass: Males 750 - 1000 kg
Females 500 - 700 kg
- Body –fully fawn colored
- Brown patch on the back of the forelegs, just above the knees
- Patch of long, curly brown hair on the forehead
- Band of dark brown along the back
- Tuft of long brown hair on the tip of the tail
- Both sexes have straight, slightly diverging horns
Social Behavior Eland:
- Live in herds
- Small herds –at times forming big herds
- Cows form nursery herds during calving season
- During this time bulls form bachelor herds
- Individual bulls rejoin nursery herds during rut
- Heavy fighting occurs in herds
- Normally feed during the day but at times also at night
- Jumps up to 2 meter
- Bulls –belching brunt
- Cows –moo and calves bleat
- Generally very shy and disappear when disturbed
Source: J D Skinner and R H N Smithers: Mammals of the southern african subregion