Think you know antelopes? The gerenuk is one, but you might easily mistake it for a giraffe, especially while it is feeding.
This incredibly long-necked antelope is often referred to as Africa's giraffe gazelle (Litocranius walleri). It has a long, slender neck and legs. But don't be fooled by its delicate-looking appearance, the gerenuk's neck and limbs are incredibly strong and allow them to access food in a way that no other antelope can.
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What is a gerenuk?
The gerenuk is a leaf-eating, long-necked antelope with a small head and large ears and eyes. It has a reddish-brown backs, with a lighter colour on its flanks, and a short tail and long legs. Gerenuks have wedge-shaped heads – and males have curving horns.
How big is a gerenuk?
Gerenuks generally grow 80–105cm tall at the shoulder and weigh anywhere between 29-52kg. Their horns measure between 25–44cm, while their long necks (and heads) measure around 54cm. Overall (body and neck combined), they tend to grown between 140–160cm tall.
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What does a gerenuk look like?
With four legs on the ground, the gerenuk looks like a long-necked antelope. It has brown colouration with white around its eyes and on its belly. Males have ridged, curved horns and they have large eyes, a short tail and big ears.
When they are feeding, however, they stand on two legs and you would be mistaken for thinking they were a strange giraffe. They make themselves exceptionally tall in order to eat the highest leaves available.
How does a gerenuk eat?
Gerenuks access hard-to-reach food by hoisting themselves up on their hind legs and stretching out their heads and necks. They eat leaves, shoots, fruits and blooms from trees and have an amazing ability to get to places that most other animals can't reach. Their exceptionally strong legs and adapted backbone mean they can stand on two legs to eat food. They use their front legs to pull down higher branches and, as a result, can reach leaves between 2–2.5m off the ground.
A gerenuk drinks barely any water over the course of its lifetime, as it gets most of the moisture it needs from the plants it eats (and most of its time is spent eating).
Where do gerenuks live?
Gerenuks are very adaptable and live in dry habitats that have woody vegetation in East Africa (Somalia, eastern Ethiopia and Kenya). Adult males are often solitary and establish territory that they mark using scent from glands near their eyes, knees and hooves. Females live in small groups with their young. They also communicate using several different noises including buzzing, whistling and bleating sounds.
Biggest challenges facing gerenuks
Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to the gerenuk, which has declined by 25 per cent over the last 14 years. As a result, the gerenuk is on the IUCN's Near Threatened list.
