Nyala
Tragelaphus angasii
Nyala show extreme sexual dimorphism: males are large, dark grey with spiral horns and yellow legs, while females are much smaller, hornless, and a bright chestnut orange.
- Scientific name
- Tragelaphus angasii
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Artiodactyla › Bovidae › Tragelaphus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Dense lowland woodlands, riverine forests, and thick shrublands
- Diet
- Herbivorous; feeds on leaves, twigs, fruits, flowers, and fresh grasses
- Range
- South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Eswatini
- Size
- Shoulder height up to 110 cm; weight ranges from 55 kg (females) to 140 kg (males)
- Lifespan
- 15 to 19 years in the wild
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and poaching for bushmeat
- Safe to approach?
- Nyala are harmless, highly alert, and will quickly flee if approached. Maintain a safe distance of at least 30 meters to avoid causing stress. If cornered, males may display defensive horn posturing; back away slowly and give them space. They pose no venomous or physical danger if respected.
The lowland nyala or simply nyala ( Tragelaphus angasii ), is a spiral-horned antelope native to Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Nyala , also considered to be in the genus Tragelaphus . It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas. The body length is 135–195 cm (53–77 in), and it weighs 55–140 kg (121–309 lb). The coat is rusty or rufous brown in females and juveniles, but grows a dark brown or slate grey, often...
Photo: Rafael Tosi, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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