New York City USA - American Museum of Natural History - Akeley Hall of African Mammals - Mountain Nyala
The mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) found in Oromia, Ethiopia as gadumsa, is an antelope found in high altitude woodland in a small part of central Ethiopia. Mountain nyala were named for their similarity to the nyala but they are now considered closer relatives of the kudu.
Mountain nyala stand around a metre at the shoulder and weigh 150 to 300 kilograms, males being considerably larger than females. Mountain nyala have grey-brown coats sometimes with poorly defined white stripes and splotches, their coats darken as they age, the underside is lighter than the rest of the coat. Males have horns which twist one or two times and average slightly less than a metre in length.
Mountain nyala are endemic to the Ethiopian highlands southeast of the Rift Valley, between 6°N and 10°N. Their former range was from Mount Gara Muleta in the east to Shashamene and the northern Bale Zone to the south; currently, the main area of distribution is the Bale Mountains National Park. Within this range, the mountain nyala prefer woodland, heath, and scrub at altitudes of at least 2000 metres above sea level sometimes wandering as high as 4000 metres. Mountain nyala mainly eat herbs and shrubs. Mountain nyala live in groups of about four to six animals sometimes ranging to thirteen and occasionally more, these groups are mainly females and calves often with one old male.
There are about 2,500 mountain nyala in existence, which are threatened primarily by the encroachment of too many people in their habitat.
The Akeley Hall of African Mammals showcases large mammals of Africa. At the center is a freestanding group of eight elephants, poised as if to charge, surrounded by 28 habitat dioramas. These provide a unique glimpse of the diverse topography of Africa and its wildlife, from the Serengeti Plain to the waters of the Upper Nile to the volcanic mountains of what was once the Belgian Congo.
As in all of the Museum’s habitat dioramas, each scene is a re-creation based on the meticulous observations of scientists in the field in the early 20th century and the on-site sketches and photographs of the artists who accompanied them. They feature animals set in a specific location, cast in the light of a particular time of day.
In some instances, represented locales became national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. For example, Carl Akeley—the naturalist, explorer, photographer, sculptor, and taxidermist who first conceived of this hall in 1909 and collected many of the specimens for it—successfully petitioned the King of Belgium to create the first national park in Africa.
New York City USA - American Museum of Natural History - Akeley Hall of African Mammals - Mountain Nyala
The mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) found in Oromia, Ethiopia as gadumsa, is an antelope found in high altitude woodland in a small part of central Ethiopia. Mountain nyala were named for their similarity to the nyala but they are now considered closer relatives of the kudu.
Mountain nyala stand around a metre at the shoulder and weigh 150 to 300 kilograms, males being considerably larger than females. Mountain nyala have grey-brown coats sometimes with poorly defined white stripes and splotches, their coats darken as they age, the underside is lighter than the rest of the coat. Males have horns which twist one or two times and average slightly less than a metre in length.
Mountain nyala are endemic to the Ethiopian highlands southeast of the Rift Valley, between 6°N and 10°N. Their former range was from Mount Gara Muleta in the east to Shashamene and the northern Bale Zone to the south; currently, the main area of distribution is the Bale Mountains National Park. Within this range, the mountain nyala prefer woodland, heath, and scrub at altitudes of at least 2000 metres above sea level sometimes wandering as high as 4000 metres. Mountain nyala mainly eat herbs and shrubs. Mountain nyala live in groups of about four to six animals sometimes ranging to thirteen and occasionally more, these groups are mainly females and calves often with one old male.
There are about 2,500 mountain nyala in existence, which are threatened primarily by the encroachment of too many people in their habitat.
The Akeley Hall of African Mammals showcases large mammals of Africa. At the center is a freestanding group of eight elephants, poised as if to charge, surrounded by 28 habitat dioramas. These provide a unique glimpse of the diverse topography of Africa and its wildlife, from the Serengeti Plain to the waters of the Upper Nile to the volcanic mountains of what was once the Belgian Congo.
As in all of the Museum’s habitat dioramas, each scene is a re-creation based on the meticulous observations of scientists in the field in the early 20th century and the on-site sketches and photographs of the artists who accompanied them. They feature animals set in a specific location, cast in the light of a particular time of day.
In some instances, represented locales became national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. For example, Carl Akeley—the naturalist, explorer, photographer, sculptor, and taxidermist who first conceived of this hall in 1909 and collected many of the specimens for it—successfully petitioned the King of Belgium to create the first national park in Africa.