“I first came across the Greater Koodoo in the Golis Range, and I also found it to the west of Hargeisa and near Milmil, as far south as lat. 8°. The first locality, however, was the only one where I pursued it, and it was there more abundant than in the two last-mentioned places. The Golis Range consists of a series of high bluffs under which lies a sort of undercliff forming a lower plateau. This is grown over with gigantic Euphorbias and dense brushwood, interspersed with huge boulders which have fallen from the cliffs above. The Koodoo apparently lie up in very thick patches of such jungle, at least I always found this the case, and the first intimation of their presence was invariably a crash as the quarry dashed off, generally out of sight. Their habit, however, of stopping after a hundred yards or so, to examine the cause of their alarm, is often fatal to them. They seem to lie pretty close, and on one occasion I walked all round one without discovering it, which we did eventually by finding its tracks at the end of our circuit and following them up. The Koodoo browse on the young shoots, and I have also found them eating the smaller kinds of Euphorbias.
“At the time I was looking for them the rainy season was on, and I think this much assisted us, for it rendered tracking easy and our movements less noisy than they would have been in the dry weather. During five days’ shooting we saw five good bucks, and secured three of them. I found that when alarmed they did not travel very far, and that by patiently following the tracks we generally came up to them within a couple of miles. All the bucks I came across were solitary, and the hinds seemed to live in small herds of from three to seven or eight. A sportsman could not wish for a grander sight than a startled Koodoo dashing off along the hillside, or standing on the look-out on some point of vantage. Their flesh is poor eating, and their hides are of little value from an ornamental point of view, but the head and neck, and the ruff, when well mounted, form a splendid trophy.”
The existence of the Kudu in Abyssinia has long been recorded, and it would appear to be found all over the wilder and more wooded parts of that country from 3000 to 9000 feet in altitude. According to Rüppell, however, who in 1835 first identified it with the Cape animal, the Kudu descends nearly to the sea-coast near Massoua. Heuglin has likewise recorded its presence in the Egyptian territories of the Atbara, Galabat, and Bogos north of Abyssinia, as well as in Kordofan and in the more elevated districts of the White Nile. Thus we see that throughout the eastern part of Africa the Greater Kudu is one of the most widely distributed of the larger Antelopes.
On the West Coast of Africa the range of the Kudu is much more limited. It occurs, no doubt, in German South-west Africa, and has been recorded by Anchieta from Angola, but we are disposed to consider its alleged existence in the Congo Valley as not yet proven. Nor are we aware of any evidence of its occurrence further north on the West Coast.
It is singular that, while its near relatives the Eland and the Bushbucks thrive in captivity, the Kudu never appears to accommodate itself well to existence in European menageries. During his long experience Sclater has had opportunities of seeing many Kudus in various Zoological Gardens, but does not recollect a single case in which such an animal appeared to be in perfect health and condition and likely to do well. The first Kudu received by the Zoological Society of London arrived in 1860 along with other animals from the Cape, presented by the late Sir George Grey. It was a female and did not live long. In June 1868 a young male, from Upper Nubia, was acquired by purchase, but was also quickly lost. Nor have the Society been much more successful with specimens acquired in 1873, 1874, 1880, and 1895, although a female purchased in 1873 lived nearly seven years in their Gardens.
The accompanying woodcut (fig. 114, p. 183) was prepared by Mr. Smit from the pair of Kudus which were living together in the Society’s Gardens from 1874 to 1879.
Wolf’s beautiful drawing of this Antelope (Plate XCVI.) was prepared some twenty-five years ago for Sir Victor Brooke, and exhibited at the Zoological Society’s Meeting in June 1875, in order to show the differences between this species and the Lesser Kudu, but we regret to say we have been unable to ascertain upon what materials it was based.
Fig. 114.
Male and female Kudu.