The buffalo post like this one has been very informative and fun for me. I love eland, and was wondering if you all could tell me about the different eland species/sub-species and hunting them?

I know of only two species of eland.The most widespread being ths common eland.It is also referred to as the southern eland.The other option is the Lord Derby or Giant Eland.

Tragelaphus oryx , the common eland is found throughout much of south eastern Africa.Tragelaphus derbianus is found in Senegal,Ziare,Nigeria,Sudan,Guinea,and Mali.

The common eland has pointed ears while the derby has more rounded ones.The derby always has distinctive white stripes on it's torso while the common eland's stripes are often barely noticeable.The horns of the derby eland are capable of reaching greater size than the common eland but otherwise their size is essentially the same.

333OKH

As far as hunting goes I know of 4 varieties of eland.

Lord Derby eland hunted in Cameroon and CAR.

Cape eland hunted in RSA and Namibia.

Livingstone's eland hunted in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

East African eland hunted in Tanzania.

There seems to be some blurring of the lines than designate one species from another particularly the East African and Livingstone's varieties.

Mark

333_OKH

Not wanting to highjack this thread at all // but sometimes the specie range can be a very fine tuned science.

Just as an example, I believe there are actually 23 species of Duiker

Back to the Eland,

We have some Livingstone Eland on the ranch in Zambia, they are a beautiful rather VERY large animal specie when (viewed with the naked eye) a lot bigger than one might imagine from viewing them in a picture

Peter

I am a wildlife biologist and I love all of the different species we have available to hunt. I have never gone to the trouble to look up the different species, but it sounds like they have been messing with the designations of this species too. Biologist often lump or split them as they see fit. You may learn a species one year and a few later there are three.

Well it appears some one should tell all the PH's that the Burchell species of Zebra is long gone and they should be calling the species common to southern Africa the Chapmans species.

There are only two species of eland. The Lord Derby Eland being one. The Cape Eland, Livingstone's Eland and the East African Eland are considered as intraspecific variations of the same species.

What is the West African Giant Eland that is endangered? I stumbled across it on the Internet?

The Lord Derby Eland species is comprised of two subspecies: the western race (derbianus) and the central race (gigas). I don't know if any of the western race are surviving.

what caused thier extreme low numbers, civil war?

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
what caused thier extreme low numbers, civil war?

Death.


Sorry, I've got way too much leisure time today and I'm too big of a smart ass.

I am sorry, did you say something?

Your avatar is my new hobby!

I have hunted Livingstones Eland in Zimbabwe and in my case they were a very demanding hunt, tracking them the same as buff and then finding the right bull for you to take! took us 4 solid days to shoot my bull. They are the best tasting red meat animal that i have tried(wild or otherwise).

As 333-OKH says, the lumpers & splitters have differing opinions but Rowland Ward list the following:

East African
Giant
Giant, Central African
Giant Western
Livingstone's

Incidentally, we took an EA Eland a couple of years ago that would have scored number 3 or 4 with RW had the client chosen to enter it. If I remember correctly it was around 41 inches and we'll have a photograph of it on our website (hopefully) by next week......

333-OKH, the reasons ususally advanced for the reduction in numbers of the Western Race of the Lord Derby Eland are: 1)overhunting by indigenous populations and 2) reduction of habitat with slash and burn clearing of land being particularly responsible.

Mark,

At various times I've had a license for East African Eland in Ethiopia but never got a shot at one. I have seen tracks in the Omo Valley though and have seen them from the air. They are prevalent on the West BAnk of the Omo (and inland a bit) but currently this is not a hunting concession. I'm thinking this animal is also reffered to a "Patterson's" Eland. One and the same with the author of "Maneater's of Tsavo".
Rich Elliott

Here's a pretty big Livingstone from Zim





Notice the nice cleft over my eye from creeping up on the scope!

Rich,

Yes, the Patterson's and East African are supposed to be the same sub species. When I referred to the various eland I was talking about the categories SCI recognizes and where they are commonly hunted today. I forgot to include Mozambique for the Livingstone's as some areas have good populations. Botwana has both Cape and Livingstone's. I don't know if Livingstone's are avaialble in the Caprivi although I'm sure they must be there.

Mark

IMO Paterson's and Livingstone's elands are considered the same species, the Cape Eland.

I agree with Wink, it remains one western Derby eland's focus in Senegal, Mali and Burkina. One has reasons to think it could be (hardly) find in Ghana and Benin.
The other focus covers Cameroon, CAR, Tchad, Sudan and perhaps a tiny part of Nigeria.

A caracteristic of the Derby is the black mane the males shed in march. Another difference, the Cape eland is very tough when hit, the Derby when hit is almost finished, any wound will almost anchor it.

OK guys, I realize that science never ceases to advance but I'm old fashioned and resort to my copy of "The Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa" by Jean Dorst and Pierre Dandelot. First edition was 1970, I have the 1990 reprint.

Giant Eland (or Lord Derby Eland)

Western African Race: Taurotragus derbianus derbianus
Central African Race: Taurotragus derbianus gigas

Cape/Livingstone's Eland

Cape Eland: Taurotragus oryx oryx
Livingstone's Eland: Taurotragus oryx livingstonii
East African or Patterson's Eland: Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus

There are explications on the range of the animals as well as the variations in color and stripes depending on the species and subspecies. Look it up!

Wink

All I know for sure is that if I get a Livingstone's in Mozambique I'll need a Lord Derby or Giant to satisfy me that I have all the different species. Man! Jean's sure is pretty.

Mark

Mark,
Jean Bernard does seem to go to the right places at the right time. He also seems to have a nice camera. Even if I shot a Lord Derby that looked like that my picture of it never would.

Wink
Are You joking?
My cousin use my camera for his was sent in another camp (along with his scope, binoc and VCR). These pics were taken with the PH's cam. I was using only the cam from my trail cam, a simple olympus.
Jean Dorst is a highly regarded specialist.
I am quoting references from Pierre Alex Fiorenza, Larousse Ed.
Lady Luck was with us. Geeeezz how many beers (Mocaf) we drank her health.





Mark, William, merry Christmas.

NB : Will, I am waiting your answer concerning Northfork pills.

Guys....Love your photos they asre great looking animals. Can I ask what calibers you were using on these eland?

Someone else has to have more photos of some big bulls, right?

Come on guys, show us your bulls and where you got them.

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
Guys....Love your photos they asre great looking animals. Can I ask what calibers you were using on these eland?

Mick, the guy on the left : 375HH 300g Fail Safe

Yours truly, 375HH 300g Swift A Frame

Luc 416 Rigby 380 GR GPA GPA BULLETS



Luc's trophy is bigger than the first Cape eland's trophy in the book.

Nice elands on the front page of

Club Faune website : Club Fauna



This is the eland shot in 2005.
They pretend to have shot the new world record eland in 2004?????????? Perhaps SCI, the old record (Rowland Ward) of Quintard is always the longest horned.

That is a nice eland!

This is the Derby Eland shot in January 2005 in Central Africa

[URL=http://img387.imageshack.us/my.php?image=numriser00067cf.jpg][IMG]http://

This is my 2nd Eland, a cape Eland in RSA.
The both have the same weight but the Derby Eland is the most prestigious

Sorry, this is the Cape Eland

Hi Alain,

Your Christian name seems to be a friggin French one??

There's a picture of an East African Eland we took in the Selous a year or two ago on the Tanzania page of our website at http://www.kuduland.com

Had the client entered the trophy in Rowland Ward, it would have been a new # 3 or 4 in the book.

The pictures are still being positioned by our webmaster so you might have to visit a time or two before they're right...... At the moment there's the front half of a lesser kudu missing!

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:
Hi Alain,

Your Christian name seems to be a friggin French one??

Oui jbderunz, je suis de Belgique, l'Eland de Derby a été chassé en RCA chez Mathieu Laboureur avec l'Agence Club Faune (Française elle) super safari.
l'Eland du Cap a été prélevé an Afrique du sud près du Limpopo à la frontière du Botswana toujours avec Club Faune.
Bien à toi l'ami.

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ALF - this was on the forum a while, the webpage that initiated it is http://www.wild-about-you.com/AfricaGame.htm

Note the nine subspecies listed (seven non-extinct), and the names which causes the confusion reg the usage of "Burchell's". Your list differs a little bit.

Conclusion was that we are typically hunting the "Chapman's Zebra" (Equus quagga antiquorum), which as you said are generically called "Burchell's". Yes/No? Regards, Bill

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