ELEGANT ELANDS OF THE NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK

Wow! What a sight for the naked eye to behold, before me stood a big herd of elands, moving slowly across the Embakasi plains as they grazed and interacted with each other. So many young calves, appeared to be cavorting and running after each other, and then finding refuge with their mothers. But what impressed me most was the magnificently massive large bulls, their huge bulk stood out from the herd, and it was then easy to see why the eland is Africa’s largest antelope. Elands have a wonderfully elegant way of walking considering their large size and appear almost regal as they walk gracefully.

Nairobi park is amazing in this way, for having the largest antelope; the eland, to one of the smallest; the Suni. Elands are found in many places in Africa and have become scarce in some areas, so Nairobi Park is a place of refuge for them to breed and live in relative safety. It is interesting to note that in all the years I have been observing in the park, there have been very few eland lion kills, it appears they are very fleet-footed and also intelligent, elands have also been known to jump very high easily clearing fences up to 2.5 m high. I have personally seen eland jump and clear the full width of some of the roads in the park, quite a sight to see. They are so huge and yet so nimble. They are not generally harmful and have a placid nature, that has even resulted in them becoming quite tame in some areas. When observing eland, if they are close enough, then listen closely as the huge bulls, in particular, make a distinct clicking sound as they approach. This is thought to come from their hooves, which splay apart and click back together under the animals’ great weight. It is thought that this unique clicking sound might also be a form of
communication.

The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a  savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. An adult male is around 1.6 metres (5″) tall at the shoulder (females are 20 centimetres (8″) shorter) and can weigh up to 942 kg with an average of 500–600 kg, and about 340–445 kg for females. It is the second-largest antelope in the world, being slightly smaller on average than the rarer giant eland. The name “eland” is Dutch for “elk” or “moose”. The Nairobi National Park is a safe breeding haven for these uniquely created species, as wild eland populations have rapidly declined in many parts of Africa. Apart from mankind, elands are also hunted by lions in the park.

There is so much to see in the Nairobi park including the elegant elands, and I always leave satisfied with “soul tonic”, but remember “the slower the drive, the more you see what’s alive!”

The park is open daily from 06h00 to 19h00