TWIL #039 - The Eland: A 900 kg Antelope That Can Jump 3 Metres High
The common eland is the world's largest antelope - heavier than a large horse - and yet it can clear a 3-metre fence from a standing start.
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The common eland (Taurotragus oryx) is the world's largest antelope and one of the largest bovines - adult males weigh between 400 and 940 kg, with some exceptional individuals exceeding a tonne. They can stand up to 1.8 metres at the shoulder.
Despite this mass, elands are extraordinary athletes. They can sustain a trot of around 22 km/h almost indefinitely, and can reach a gallop of 70 km/h over short distances. Most remarkably, they can jump vertically up to 3 metres from a standing position - a fence-clearing ability that makes conventional livestock enclosures useless against them.
A distinctive feature of the eland is the clicking sound it makes when walking, produced by the tendons in its knees. The sound carries surprisingly far and is believed to help herd members keep track of each other in tall grass.
Elands have been semi-domesticated in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Russia (particularly in the Askaniya-Nova reserve in Ukraine). They produce milk with a high fat content (about 12%, compared to 4% for cattle) and their meat is lean and nutritious. Their ability to thrive in arid conditions without relying heavily on surface water - they obtain much of their moisture from vegetation - makes them attractive as alternative livestock in dry environments.
Despite their size and the clicking that announces their presence, they are actually shy and can be difficult to approach in the wild.