Werribee Open Range Zoo has welcomed a little antelope who has a big future.
Tshepo, the one-year-old eland calf – the largest antelope species – is a new arrival from Monarto Safari Park in South Australia.
Joining a herd of 19, he is poised to one day become the herd’s breeding bull.
However, savannah keeper Sharlina Burns said Tshepo will need to grow into his clicky knees before building his future legacy.
“As eland get older, there is a tendon in their knees that starts to click, so you can hear the eland clicking as they’re walking,” Ms Burns said.
“It acts as a form of communication so they can tell one another who is older, bigger and more dominant in the herd.
“Tshepo was the first new eland to join the herd in more than six years, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but it was really nice to see him walk out and be totally fine amongst the herd.”
Tshepo, a name of Southern African origin meaning ‘hope’ or ‘faith’ in Sotho, was chosen by the zoo’s keepers who have every hope he’ll grow into his role as leader of the herd.
Eland are native to the grasslands and savannahs of southern and eastern Africa with up to 110,000 in the wild.
Their population is currently stable, however habitat destruction for agricultural expansion and illegal hunting have resulted in considerable reductions of their range and populations.
Visitors to the zoo can see Tshepo and the herd on a safari bus tour of the savannah, which runs throughout the day and is included with entry.
