'224 



SOUTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



are merely geographical races, and they freely interbreed 

 with one another in captivity. One young one is born 

 annually. The young of the unstriped variety are dis- 

 tinctly striped for the first six or eight months of their 

 lives. 



As the Bland breeds well in captivity, and is as a rule 

 of a mild docile nature, it is mysterious why no attempt 



Fig. 134.— YouDg Eland just tamed (striped variety). 



was made by our earher settlers to domesticate this fine 

 animal, even if only as a fresh item for the bill of fare. 

 The Elands in the National Zoological Gardens breed 

 regularly every year. The female Eland calls her young 

 one by a soft bleating note, ridiculously inadequate for 

 such a large animal. 



It is a tough animal to kill and requires a well-placed 

 shot to bring it down. 



