Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) lives in montane forest across Ethiopian Highlands. It feeds on grasses and leaves. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Mountain Nyala
- Mountain nyala males can grow up to 300 kg, while females top out at about 200 kg. Their shoulder height reaches 135 cm for males and 100 cm for females. The larger bulls roam 15-20 km², while females and calves stay in much smaller 5 km² home ranges.
- Mountain nyala inhabit a narrow altitude band: core montane woodlands sit between 3,000-3,400 m, but human pressure forces many into heath forests above 3,400 m and even up to 4,300 m. Up to half of the global population lives in just 200 km² of the Gaysay area of Bale Mountains National Park.
- Reproduction in mountain nyala is year-round but peaks in December, with females reaching sexual maturity at two years and giving birth after an eight- to nine-month gestation. Calves stay hidden for the first weeks, then remain with their mothers for nearly two years, in a landscape where leopards are the main predator.
- The longest recorded horns of a male mountain nyala measure 188 cm. Horns start as tiny cream-coloured nubs at six months, spiral into a single turn by two years.
- Since the 1960s the mountain nyala's numbers have plummeted from an estimated 7,000-8,000 (possibly up to 12,500) to just 2,000-4,000 in the 1980s, and today only about 3,000 remain, most confined to Bale Mountains National Park.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeEthiopian Highlands
HabitatMontane forest
DietGrasses and leaves
About the Mountain Nyala
In the mist-shrouded mountains of Ethiopia, the majestic Mountain Nyala roams, its spiraling horns and tawny coat a testament to its rugged elegance. As it moves through the forest, its large, dark eyes watchful and alert, the Nyala navigates the treacherous terrain with a quiet confidence, its hooves sure-footed on the rocky slopes. With a gentle, almost ethereal quality, this endangered creature glides through its native habitat, a fleeting glimpse of a world where beauty and fragility coexist in delicate balance.
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