Tragelaphus angasii
Afrikaans : Njala
Zulu : Inyala/Inxala
Nyala are very shy, and are very cautious when approaching open spaces. Most sightings of wild nyala are at water holes. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon, resting in thick brush during the hottest times of the day. The alarm call is a sharp, dog-like bark. Individual nyala home ranges average 0.65 square kilometers for males and 0.83 kilometers for females. These individual areas overlap extensively, and there is no indication of territoriality.
Gender differences:
In this species of antelope, there is extreme sexual dimorphism, with the two sexes looking entirely different. Both sexes have a white chevron between the eyes, and the bushy tail is white on the underside. The short-haired, rufous-chestnut coat of females and immature males has 10 or more vertical white stripes on the sides. There are white spots on the face, throat, flanks, and thighs. There are no horns on females, and there is no mane on the neck.
The males (90-130 Kg) are larger than females (50-70 Kg), and have a shaggy dark brown to charcoal grey coat, often with a bluish tinge. The length of this coat generally obscures the torso stripes. There are fewer and less conspicuous markings than on the female, but there is a bold erectile white dorsal crest. The lower legs are tawny. The yellow-tipped horns have 1-1.5 twists, and grow 60-83 cm / 24-33 inches long.
Habitat:
Nyala live in dense lowland woodlands and thickets near water in southern Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and eastern South Africa.
Diet:
They are primarily browsers therefore the majority of their diet consists of leaves but they also eat freshly sprouted grass, fruit, flowers and pods. They eat during the day and night.
Reproduction:
Breeding is most frequent in the spring and autumn, with births occurring in the following autumn and spring. The gestation period is 7 months an a single young is born. Calves are left alone after birth, lying still in the grass to avoid detection by predators. The mother returns to her calf to nurse throughout this three week period. The calves are weaned after 6 months.
The females become sexually mature at 11 – 12 months and the males at 18 months, although they are not socially mature until 5 years of age.
Life span: Up to 16 years.
Other:
'Nyala' (pronounced as 'n'YAH-la') is the Swahili name for this antelope.
Their main predators are leopard, lion, wild dog and hyena. Newborns have also been known to fall prey to Chacma Baboons.
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