Nile lechwe

White neck Moorantilope

The white neck Lechwe (Kobus megaceros ) is an antelope of the genus waterbuck. The species lives exclusively in the Nilsümpfen 3,000 kilometers north of the closely related with him lechwe, which occurs in the wet savannas of central Africa.

Exterior Features

The white neck Moorantilope is a strong swamp antelope with long hair dress, one shoulder height 80-105 cm, a length of 135-165 centimeters and a weight of 60 to 120 kilograms.

As the brown-red lechwe it has a fairly short face. The hooves are exceptionally long, the inner toe is much narrower than the outer. The bucks have lyre- shaped, S- shaped, curved horns, but thinner, longer and steeper ascending than in other lechwe are 50 to 85 inches long. The fur of goats until they reach darker slowly over the years as a black and bitter chocolate. The mahogany-colored blocks have a fist-sized, pure white patch behind the horns, from which a white stripe along pulls the neck, which is a wide white saddle on the front part of the withers. The underside and the tail are creamy white. The hornless females are yellowish to brownish red, much brighter than the goats, with attenuated drawings.

Dissemination

The distribution area is limited to the Sudd region in southern Sudan near Malakal. The local flood plain is drained by the White Nile, which forms an extensive wetland with ever-changing tributaries. The white neck Moorantilope lives in large groups of fifty or more individuals, but is not as large as the lechwe herd.

Behavior

According to the water level of the river and the flooded areas during the rainy season the antelope follows the changing edge of the swamp. They move away from the river and up the river, 30 to 40 km depending on the water level to their respective pastures. They feed almost exclusively on marsh grasses and live in mixed packs of 50 or more animals.

Endangering

By 1980, there were approximately 36,000 animals each were distributed to the two banks of the Nile in half. Meanwhile, her stock has fallen sharply, so have at a count from the air in 2007 in southern Sudan only 4291 individuals are counted, who mainly were Zerat near the nature reserve. The IUCN lists the status of the white neck Moorantilope as endangered ( endangered ).