World Hirola Day – 12th August
World Hirola Day – 12th August
August 12, 2023 – Saturday. World Hirola Day was first celebrated in 2015 on the same day as World Elephant Day to connect the two species. Hirola is one of the most endangered antelope species in the world with a current population of 300 to 500 individuals and there are none in captivity.
The hirola (Beatragus hunteri), also called the Hunter’s hartebeest or Hunter’s antelope, is a critically endangered antelope species found on the border between Kenya and Somalia restricted to 7600 km2. It is the only living member of the genus Beatragus. They come from a larger family of Bovide which includes sheep, buffalo, cows and antelopes. The name Hirola derives from the somali pastoral community which has given refuge to this species and consider it to have spiritual significance which is linked to cattle keeping.
The hirola is a medium-sized antelope. It is tan to rufous-tawny in colour with lighter under parts and with long legs, a long body, long face with a slightly convex forehead and a relatively short neck. It has very sharp, lyrate horns ringed most of the length of the horn. As hirola age their coat darkens towards a slate grey and the number of ridges along their horns increases. Hirola have large, dark glands under their eyes, used for marking their territories and give them the name “four-eyed antelope”. They have white spectacles around their eyes and an inverted white line running between the eyes. Males and females look similar although males are slightly larger with thicker horns and darker coats.
Hirola are found in short grassed, seasonally arid plains between acacia bush and coastal forest. Hirolas are core grazers with selective feeding habits. They only feed on short, newly sprouted grass. They also feed on grasses and forbs (a type of a herbaceous flowering plant) which allow them to go for long periods without water.
The reasons for the devastating decline of the hirola are not known but is likely a combination of factors including diseases like rinderpest, hunting, severe drought, predation, competition for food and water from domestic livestock and habitat loss caused by bush encroachment as a result of the extirpation of elephants within its range. This hartebeest prefers areas that are used by livestock which puts them at increased risk from diseases like tuberculosis. It might be vulnerable to poaching, and is also subject to the natural phenomena of predation and competition with other wild herbivores.
– Source: Internet –