Elands are the largest antelopes on Earth, giant, spiral-horned grazers that roam the savannas, woodlands, and mountains of Africa. Despite their massive build, they move with surprising grace, from an effortless trot to a standing leap that would clear a basketball hoop.
Here are the real facts behind these gentle giants, checked against wildlife references so you can trust every one.
Elands are the largest antelope species in the world; large bulls can stand up to about 6 feet (183 cm) tall at the shoulder.
A big bull eland can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds (roughly 900 kg), while females typically weigh 660 to 1,320 pounds.
Both male and female elands grow long, spiral-shaped horns, though males' horns are thicker and females' are often slightly longer.
Eland horns typically reach about 1.5 to 2.5 feet long (roughly 43 to 69 cm), not the 4 feet sometimes claimed; they are used for defense and sparring for dominance.
Elands live in loose, open herds of females and their young that can number in the hundreds, while males are often solitary or form small bachelor groups outside the breeding season.
Unlike many antelope, common elands are not strictly territorial; they wander widely over large home ranges rather than defending a fixed patch of ground.
Elands are herbivores with a varied diet of grasses, leaves, fruit, and seed pods, and they can go long periods without drinking by getting moisture from the plants they eat.
Dominant male elands rub their foreheads on trees and bushes, transferring scent from glands and a tuft of urine-soaked hair to signal status to other males.
Female elands have a gestation period of roughly nine months (about 8.5 to 9 months) and typically give birth to a single calf.
Newborn eland calves can stand and walk within a couple of hours of birth and soon rejoin the herd.
Despite their bulk, elands are the slowest antelope species at a sprint, topping out around 25 mph (40 km/h), but they can maintain a steady trot of about 14 mph almost indefinitely.
Elands are remarkably good jumpers and can leap roughly 8 feet (2.5 meters) straight up from a standstill when startled.
Elands live across a range of African habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, and mountain slopes, generally staying near water and good grazing.
Elands are not currently classified as endangered, but they face pressure from habitat loss, poaching, and competition with livestock for grazing land.
Elands hold cultural significance in several African societies, where they appear in art, folklore, and tradition as symbols of strength, abundance, and beauty.
Elands typically live 15 to 20 years in the wild, and some individuals in captivity have lived to around 25 years.
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