What has the legs of an antelope, the neck of a giraffe and can stand on two legs?
Answer: The gerenuk!
Unlike the waterbuck I introduced last week that needs to drink a couple of times a day, the gerenuk’s superpower lies in the fact it never needs to drink water! This mid-size antelope lives in the arid areas of East Africa. Also known as the giraffe gazelle because of its long neck, the gerenuk is perfectly adapted to the drier regions of the Horn of Africa. These delicate antelopes get all the moisture they need from the vegetation they browse on.
Gerenuks are peaceful, social creatures. They rarely fight and tend to hang out in small single-sex herds of 2-6 individuals. They stay in their own territory to conserve energy for foraging. Gerenuks are active during the morning and evening and retreat into the shade in the heat of the day. The males have beautiful lyre shaped horns that curve back from their heads.
The first time I came across a gerenuk I was on a hike to the singing wells in northern Kenya. A pair of young gerenuks stood stock still and watched us approach with their huge dark eyes. They blend in so well with the environment and I would have missed them if not for the flicker of their ears and tails.
When we visited Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in June 2022 we were introduced to a tiny, orphaned gerenuk whose mother was a victim to the drought. Russia, one of the keepers, coaxed the baby out of the bushes with a bottle of milk. My granddaughter was delighted to take over feeding this delicate antelope.
Gerenuks have a skill that enables them to reach as high as 7’ for the best leaves and berries. They can stand on two feet! The little orphan demonstrated this ability on its twiggy legs as it begged for more milk.
When we ventured south to Amboseli on the June 2022 safari, I hardly recognized the area. It had not rained since my encounter with the Amboseli elephants in 2020 when the land was lush and green. The region was reduced to a dust bowl. Many animals died in the drought. To my surprise and delight we saw several gerenuks around our lodge browsing on their hind legs. They stand so erect it is easy to mistake a gerenuk for a person on the far side of a bush. Their ability to survive with limited moisture was a significant asset during the devastating drought.
Like so many of the animals I write about, habitat loss and fragmentation are the biggest threats to gerenuks. As people expand their settlements, roads, and agriculture, lands become fragmented for this species and other wildlife. Adequate food supply becomes a challenge as well as finding safety from predators like lions, leopards and hyenas. Gerenuk numbers have declined by 25% over the past 15 years bringing this beautiful antelope close to being listed as vulnerable. Protecting biodiversity is an important step in climate action. When we take care of nature, nature takes care of us.
