Mountain nyala

Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni )

The Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni ) is an African antelope. The name indicates that he was considered earlier for a close relative of Nyala; Today it is considered likely that he is a sister species of the Great Kudu. The Mountain Nyala is classified by the IUCN as endangered ( endangered ). The Mountain Nyala was only discovered in 1908 and is considered the last great African even-toed ungulate fauna, which was discovered. As before, the Mountain Nyala is a little-known species.

Appearance

In its general proportions and its size, the hornless females resemble central European hinds. They have a gray- brown fur with lighter underside. Compared to the greater kudu the scattered dots and stripes are weak and hardly visible. They reach a length of 190 to 200 cm and a weight of 150 to 200 kg. The horned adult goats can weighing from 180 to 300 kg can be almost twice as heavy as the cows and reach a body length of 240-260 cm almost the dimensions of the Great Kudu. The coat is longer than in the females, especially in the shoulders and neck sepia brown and in males and it is on the back of a comb. On the neck there are clear white markings and others are on the face, the ears and on the front legs. With age, the skin becomes darker and can be very shaggy during the cold season. The Horned varies in thickness, length and in the number of helical turns and can be measured along the curvature of up to 1.2 m long.

Dissemination

The circulation area covers 150 km ² in the highlands of Ethiopia, mainly in Bale and in Arussigebirge. Here it inhabits mountain forests at altitudes 2500-3500 meters. It thus is an antelope with an unusually small habitat. In addition to the Mountain Nyala is only the Abbott Ducker limited in its distribution to mountain forests.

Reproduction

The female of the Mountain Nyala brings after a gestation time of 7.5 and 8 months a young one. This can already stand and walk after a few hours.

Stock

Not until 1908 that this species was discovered for Western science by Richard Lydekker. Since then, the already low stocks held by illegal trophy hunting back on. From 8000 to 1960, the population of animals has now fallen to below 3000. The IUCN classifies the Mountain Nyala as a threat.