BEISA ORYX 



ORYX BEISA 

 SWAHILI : CHEROA. MASAI : NGIMOSORROK 



f ^ ""^HIS is an antelope whose distribution 

 Jf; in the north of Africa is very wide ; 

 ?\ from Hargeisa, in North Somaliland, 

 to as far south as Laikipia. 



They stand about four feet at the withers, are 

 of a grey-fawn colour, with a black stripe down 

 the eye, another down the gullet going down the 

 under part of the neck, black cannon bones, 

 black marks above the knees, and, lastly, a black 

 stripe separating the colour of the back from the 

 white belly. 



Both sexes carry horns, the female having as 

 long horns as the male, if not longer. The horns 

 grow in the same plane as the face, curving very 

 slightly backwards and regularly divergent. They 

 are ringed at the base fairly heavily in the male, 

 with the last eighteen inches at the point smooth. 



In this country I saw one with a single horn 

 on Laikipia, in very thick bush, and caught a 

 glimpse of another as he crashed off, whilst I 

 was creeping about doubled up. 



This was on the banks of the Guaso Narok, 

 and I cannot account for those two being in the 



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