NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



THE ELAND 



{Taurotragus oryx) 



T'ganna of Hottentots ; Impofu of Zulus, Matabele and Amaxosa ; 

 Pofu of Basutos and Bechuana ; Ipofu of Makalakas ; Mofu of 

 Mashonas ; Du of Masarwa ; Insefo of Masubia and Batonga ; 

 Moju of Galla ; Mpofu of Barotsi and Ngami ; Ntamu of 

 Waganda ; Msongo of Chilala and Chibisa ; Uschefo of 

 Macuba ; Pakala of Makua ; Mpofu of Swahili ; Bogga of 

 Sudani ; Musefu of Chila ; Moju of Galla. 



The name of Eland was originally given to this 

 animal by the Voortrekker Dutch colonists in South 

 Africa, from its fancied resemblance to the European 

 Elk {Alces machlis). Eland being the Dutch name 

 of the Elk. 



The name Eland for this African antelope is now 

 in general use. The Eland was once common in 

 suitable localities in South Africa from the Cape 

 to the Zambesi. At the present time it exists in 

 the feral or wild condition on the western border 

 of Natal amongst the Drakensberg Mountains, 

 where it is under Government protection. Owing 

 to their ability to live for considerable periods 

 without water, they exist in fairly large numbers 

 in the waterless Kalahari, where hunters rarely 

 venture. A few still survive in the Portuguese 

 territory along its southern border, possibly into 

 Zululand and in Southern Rhodesia. North of the 

 Zambesi its habitat extends to Angola on the west, 

 and British East Africa as far as the Tana River 



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