Fauna of Africa Reference Libraries
The Black Wildebeest or White-tailed Gnu, (Connochaetes gnou), is one of two species of gnu. Although they are endemic to the southern region of Africa, they have been almost completely exterminated in that region. However, the species has been reintroduced widely, in private facilities and nature reserves where their numbers can grow. They can now be found in reserves in Lesotho, Swaziland,...
The Hirola (Beatragus hunteri), also known as Hunter's Hartebeest, is a species of antelope found in arid grassy plains in a pocket on the border between Kenya and Somalia. These animals are critically endangered. There are only 500 to 1200 in the wild and only one female in captivity. In the 1970s there were more than 14,000 individuals, and only 7000 by the 1980s. Their decline is believed to...
The Puku (Kobus vardonii), is a species of antelope found in southern Democratic Republic of Congo and in Zambia. Pukus are found mostly in wet, marshy grassland where they eat the grass. Pukus are active in the early mornings and late afternoons. The Puku stands about 31.5 inches at the shoulder and weighs from 154 to 176 pounds. They are sandy brown in color and the underbelly is a...
The Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), is a small African antelope that is found from the Cape of Good Hope all the way up East Africa and into Ethiopia. Its name means "˜rock jumper' in Afrikaans. It is also known informally as a myundla, which in Xhosa, means "˜rabbit'. Reaching approximately 22 inches at the shoulder, Klipspringers are relatively small compared to their relative...
The Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama), also known as the Addra Gazelle, is a species of gazelle found in Africa in the Sahara desert. During the dry season it migrates south to hunt for food. When the rains return and desert plants turn green, they return north to the Sahara. Their numbers have declined due to poaching and habitat destruction and they no longer exist in herds. It is white with a...
The Kirk's Dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii), is a small antelope found in eastern and southwestern Africa. It grows to 28 inches in length and weighs up to 15 pounds when full grown. It has a reddish-brown head and a tail that is 14-22 inches long. It has a soft, grizzled gray to brown coat. It has hooves with rubbery bottoms, which are effective when traveling over rocky terrain. Newborns are hidden...
The Western Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus), also known as the Lowland Bongo, is a herbivorous antelope among the largest of the African forest antelope species. Bongos are found in dense tropical jungles with dense undergrowth up to an altitude of 12,800 feet in Central Africa. There are isolated populations in Kenya and other West African countries. Their numbers are declining due...
The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana), is the larger of the two species of African elephants (he other being the African Forest Elephant). This particular elephant is also known as the African Elephant, Bush Elephant, or Savanna Elephant. The Bush Elephant is found in areas of limited forest, partial desert, and grassy lands. Elephants are herbivorous and eat many sources of plants and...
The Gemsbok or Gemsbuck (Oryx gazella), is a large African antelope, of the Oryx genus. The name is derived from the Dutch name of the male chamois, Gemsbok. Although there are some superficial similarities in appearance, the chamois and the oryx are not related. Gemsbok are mainly desert-dwelling and do not depend on drinking to supply their physiological water needs. The species was...
The Yellow-backed Duiker (Cephalophus silvicultor), is an antelope found in central and western Africa. Yellow-backed Duikers grow to 4.8 feet in length and 30 inches high at the shoulder. They weigh around 130 pounds. Their coat is dark brown to black, with a yellow stripe above their hindquarters. They live in dense and open rainforest, where they eat seeds, fruits, grasses, fungi, and...
