THE ANTELOPE HOUSE, NO. 50.
The Antelope House occupies a commanding situation on a high, tree-covered knoll at the south end of the Zoological Park. The situation seems as if specially formed by Nature to be occupied by this building, and its outside enclosures. The drainage is quite perfect, and the yards are well-shaded.
The building has been designed to meet the wants of giraffes and large African antelopes of all kinds, more especially those which require 60° of heat in winter.
NILGAI: INDIAN ANTELOPE.
The Antelope House is 142 feet long by 78 feet in extreme width. In architectural style it conforms with the other large animal buildings of the Park. Both for visitors and for its animals, it is roomy and well lighted, and in every way fitted to house and display a large and valuable collection of tropical hoofed animals. It contains 24 interior compartments, directly connected with 23 open-air yards for use in mild weather. This building was completed and occupied on October 17, 1903, and with all its surrounding improvements has cost about $80,000.
As the visitor will observe from the following enumeration of species, our collection of large and rare African and Asiatic antelopes is very rich. Unfortunately, until the completion of the Zebra House releases the apartments now occupied by the equines, a number of species which belong in the Antelope House must temporarily be quartered elsewhere.
The Nubian or Three-Horned Giraffes, (Giraffa camelopardalis), are at present the most important and interesting animals in the building. The pair came from German East Africa, are now (April, 1913) about twelve years old, and cost $5,500. The male stands 14 feet 4 inches in height, and the female 12 feet 6 inches. Both are good-tempered animals, and have been in good health ever since their arrival. Their food consists of clover hay, broken forage-biscuits, an assortment of raw vegetables carefully cut into small pieces, a small quantity of bran, and rock salt.
A study of the Giraffes reveals most interesting conditions. According to the point of view, the total number of species and subspecies may be reckoned at any number from three to six, inclusive. According to the specimens in hand, the Southern, or Two-Horned Giraffe, (Giraffa capensis), seems clearly defined from the Northern, or Three-Horned Giraffe, (G. camelopardalis). Next, the Somali Giraffe, (G. reticulata), of the Lake Rudolph region and northern British East Africa, seems fairly separable. At first the Five-Horned Giraffe, of western Uganda, seemed quite distinct, but now British naturalists hesitate about according to it rank as a separate species, because of its intergradation with the Nubian form, (camelopardalis).
Judging from all evidence now available, it seems that the Giraffes of to-day represent the midway stage of an effort to develop several species from the parent stock, the Three-Horned Giraffe, which is the species here represented. The existing forms, including all species and subspecies, intergrade and run together in a manner that is fairly bewildering; but if the Giraffes could remain uninfluenced by man for a sufficiently long period the probabilities are that the species now branching off would be clearly established.
The oldest, the best-known and the most common Giraffe is the three-horned species, found from central Uganda southward. The five-horned variety meets the former in Uganda, and occurs from that region westward to the edge of the great equatorial forest, and on westward even to Lake Tchad, and the lower Niger Valley. Excepting in Uganda, Kahma’s country, and a few other protected districts, the Giraffe is now rare, particularly throughout the regions that are accessible to hunters. Thousands of these wonderful creatures have been killed by hunters, both white and black, solely for the sake of seeing them dead, and leaving them as prey to the hyænas and hunting-dogs. It seems to be beyond the power of most men who can shoot to see living wild animals, no matter how large or wonderful, without desiring to reduce them to carcasses, fit only for scavengers.
NUBIAN GIRAFFES.
The Eland, (Taurotragus oryx), is the largest and most imposing of all antelopes. As might be inferred from its great size, it is now so nearly extinct that it has almost disappeared from the lists of dealers in wild animals. The fine young pair now in the Antelope House was presented by the Duke of Bedford, from his famous animal collection at Woburn Park. The fully adult female is the gift of Mr. C. Ledyard Blair.
Of Elands there are two well-marked species. That of eastern and southern Africa, here represented, was once numerous on many of the fertile plains of the great plateau now known as Rhodesia, and in fact throughout nearly the whole of the uplands of eastern Africa, from the Cape to the Sahara. Unfortunately, however, white hunters and modern firearms have reduced the countless thousands of the great herds to numbers so small that the capture and exportation of Elands have practically ceased.
Although a number of Elands have been born in captivity, the number on public exhibition still remain very small. The only captive herd known to the writer is that of the Duke of Bedford, in Woburn Park, England, which is at once the admiration and envy of all collectors of living wild animals.
The White-Tailed Gnu, (Connochaetes gnu), once was abundant in South Africa, south of the Vaal River. But it has shared the fate of all the other large mammals of that region, and only a few scattered bands still exist. Nearly all of the specimens now living in captivity were born in captivity, for both species of Gnu take kindly to life in parks and gardens.
Every way considered, the Gnu is an animal of odd and remarkable form. It has a nose of strange shape, its horns are curiously formed, the hair on its head and neck exhibits various peculiarities, and its hips are oddly modeled. Its long, flowing tail is so horse-like that for many years this animal was pictured and popularly known as the “Horned Horse.”
The White-Bearded Gnu, (Connochaetes albojubatus), is noticeably larger than the white-tailed species, and in some respects it presents a finer appearance. Its bulk is considerably greater, and its color is more pleasing. This species bears a strong resemblance to the third species, which is known as the Brindled or Blue Gnu, (Connochaetes taurinus), from which the former is distinguished by its white mane and jaw-tufts, and generally paler color. At wide intervals the White-Bearded species inhabits southern East Africa, from about S. Lat. 23°, to the Albert Nyanza and Lake Rudolph, but chiefly near the coast. In only one locality do we learn of its occurrence west of the 30th meridian. To-day it is most numerous in German East Africa and the southern portions of Uganda.
The Addax Antelope, (Addax naso-maculatus), is a spiral-horned antelope which inhabits the southern edge of the Sahara Desert from Dongola quite across Africa to Senegal. Its extremely broad and spreading hoofs betoken a dweller upon sand, and are strongly suggestive of the snow-shoe hoofs of the caribou. It is said that this animal is not to be taken without making a journey into the desert, with camels.
The Leucoryx Antelope, (Oryx leucoryx), is the only member of its genus which has curved horns. Because of the length and very slight curvature of the horns, this species has by some writers been spoken of as the Sabre Antelope, and by a mischievous perversion that name has been turned into “Sable” Antelope, which refers to a totally different creature, (Hippotragus niger). Anyone who places an order for the purchase of a real Sable Antelope, and receives a Leucoryx instead of Hippotragus niger, is profoundly disappointed.
This species is a desert habitant, and its home is the desert region of North Africa from Dongola to the Senegal country. It is breeding regularly here, and the offspring mature successfully. The largest Leucoryx horns on record measure 39⅝ inches.
BEATRIX ANTELOPE
BLESSBOK
The Beisa Antelope, (Oryx beisa), is a good representative of the group of straight-horned antelopes found in the genus Oryx. Of all the long-horned species, the two Beisas and the Gemsbok of Africa, and the Beatrix of Arabia, are the only species possessed of horns that are practically straight from base to tip. The Gemsbok is the largest and most showy species, being painted like a harlequin, in a startling pattern of roan, black and white. The Beisa is a good second, however. The horns of all these antelopes grow to great length, and are excellent weapons for use in encounters with the smaller game-killing carnivores. The largest horns of record measure 40 inches.
The Beisa inhabits eastern Central Africa, from Suakin on the Red Sea southward to the Equator.
The Beatrix Antelope, (Oryx beatrix), of the Arabian Desert, is one of the rarest antelopes to be found in captivity, and at this date this interesting species is represented by a fine pair of specimens. The longest horns of record measure 26 inches. Very few sportsmen have seen this animal in its native haunts. Our pair has been breeding for three years, and has reared two young.
The Sable Antelope, (Hippotragus niger), is by many persons regarded as the handsomest of all the numerous species of African antelopes. In appearance it is very proud and high-headed; it has imposing horns that sweep backward in a semicircular curve; its large eyes and alert air betoken keen intelligence, and its glossy black coat, marked with pure white, render it a most conspicuous animal. On its native veldt it has now become a very rare species, and seldom is taken by sportsmen. The fine male specimen in the Park was presented by Miss Jean Walker Simpson.
LEUCORYX ANTELOPE
WHITE-TAILED GNU
The Sing-Sing Waterbuck, (Cobus unctuosus), is a creature of the lowlands, and frequents the dense tangles of tall reeds that border many of the rivers of West Africa, above the great equatorial forest. In captivity it sometimes is one of the most insanely nervous and irrational creatures imaginable, ever seeking self-inflicted injuries.
The Blessbok, (Damaliscus albifrons), is a small but handsome purple-and-white antelope which is now very nearly extinct. Formerly a number of herds were preserved on fenced farms in the Transvaal and Orange Free State, but it is feared that none of them survived the Boer War. This species never lived north of the Limpopo, but south of that river it once was so numerous that a truthful traveler described a vast plain as being “purple with Blessbok.”
The Nilgai, (Portax tragocamelus), is the largest of the Indian antelopes, and while it has the stature and the high shoulders of a Baker roan antelope, its absurdly small horns give it, beside the large antelopes of Africa, a very commonplace and unfinished appearance. The males and females are as differently colored as if they belonged to different species. This animal inhabits the roughest portions of the central plains of Hindustan, from Mysore to the Himalayas. In northern India it is found along the rivers Jumna and Ganges, in rugged and barren tracts of ravines which in character and origin resemble our western “bad-lands.”
ELAND
The small antelopes will be found in the Small-Deer House, the next building in order.