The common eland, a huge spiral-horned antelope of the plains and open woodland of East and southern Africa. Both sexes have horns. It lives in loose herds of up to 500, feeds mainly at dawn and dusk, and has been farmed for its meat and rich milk.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Kept and farmed in southern Africa and Russia, but it has not been bred into a distinct domestic form.
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Hunted and farmed for its meat; some southern African farmers have switched from cattle to eland because it suits the climate better.
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatGrassland, Scrub, Mountains
ColoursTan, Grey, White
SizeHuge
HeightMales 150–183 cm, females 125–153 cm at the shoulder
WeightMales 400–942 kg; females 300–600 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives for15–25 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- East and southern Africa, from Ethiopia and South Sudan south to South Africa and west to Angola and Namibia.
- What it eats
- Leaves of flowering plants, plus grasses, forbs, seeds, tubers and fruit. It gets most of its water from its food.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The slowest antelope, yet it can clear 2.5 metres from a standing start.
Herds make a loud clicking as they walk, probably the two halves of each hoof snapping together.
Its milk has 11–17% butterfat and, properly prepared, keeps for up to eight months.
Often confused with
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