Common eland

Habitat
Open plains and savannah areas in Africa

Age
Up to 20 years

Weight
Females: 300-600 kg
Males: 400-1000 kg

Height
1.3 – 1.8 meters

Gestation Period
8-9 months

Number of Offspring
1 calf

Conservation Status
Near threatened

Did you know…

• The eland antelope is the largest antelope species in the world.
• The eland antelope is the slowest among the African species, capable of running up to 40 km/h.
• The eland antelope can jump three meters in the air directly from the ground.
• In Africa, eland antelopes are domesticated, similar to cattle.
• A female eland antelope, called a cow, can produce 7 kg of milk in a day. The milk contains three times more fat and double the amount of protein compared to dairy cows.
• Eland antelopes naturally live in large family groups where the cows cooperate in raising the calves.
• Knuthenborg’s male eland antelope can often be seen with his head down, sometimes in a pile of dung. He does this to give his large mane a special “perfume” to attract the attention of the females.
• If you hear a ringing sound in the morning, it’s just the keeper bringing their morning feed. Our eland antelopes are trained to respond to the sound of the bell so we can call them.
• The eland antelope has a flap of skin on its neck that is used to raise its internal body temperature. It can raise the temperature by up to 7 degrees to avoid losing too much fluid through sweating.
• Often, you can hear a clicking sound when the eland herd passes by. The sound comes from the knees of the eland antelopes. The most distinct sound is produced by the males, who use it to communicate their size and dominance to other males.

Meet the eland antelopes on the Savannah.