Antelope calf learns to click with new herd as sound sets hierarchy

For most humans, clicking knees are an unwelcome reminder of ageing, but for one precious little antelope, learning to make that telltale “click” is the first step toward speaking his species’ secret language – and one day claiming top spot in his herd.

Eland calf Tshepo (pronounced: seh-poh), is a new arrival at Werribee Open Range Zoo after starting life at South Australia’s Monarto Safari Park.

At the tender age of just a year old, he joins an adult herd of 19 Eland and his destiny is to one day become the herd’s breeding bull.

However, Werribee’s savannah* keeper Sharlina Burns said Tshepo needed 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. It acts as a form of communication, so they can tell one another who is older, bigger and more dominant in the herd,” Ms Burns said.

Eland is the largest antelope species in the world, with adults weighing in at more than 1000kg when fully grown – that’s a whole tonne. Tshepo, in comparison, currently weighs a mere 160kg.

Males tend to develop a louder, deeper click as they mature, growing muscle and mass at around two to three years of age, but females can click too. Believe it or not, the sound can sometimes be heard up to one kilometre away.

Ms Burns said that Tshepo was met with plenty of clicking during his introduction to the herd, which ranges in age from six to 17-years-old.

“Tshepo was the first new Eland to join the herd in more than six years,” Ms Burns said. “We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was really nice to see him walk out and be totally fine amongst the herd. At one year old, it’s the perfect time for young male calves to go off and learn from other male Eland.”

Despite their large size, Eland have an impressive capacity to jump up as high as three metres from a standing start – imagine a small car leaping over your head. They also have stunning spiral horns that measure almost 70cm and can self-regulate their temperature by up to 12 degrees to reduce sweating and conserve water in their naturally hot and dry wild habitats*.

Tshepo, a name of Southern African origin meaning “hope” or “faith” in Sotho, was chosen by Werribee’s keepers, who have every hope he’ll grow into his role as eventual 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 but habitat destruction for agricultural expansion and illegal hunting have considerably reduced their range and populations.

Visitors to Werribee Open Range Zoo can visit Tshepo and the Eland herd on a safari bus tour of the savannah, which run throughout the day and are included with entry.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• savannah: a large, flat area of land covered with grass, usually with few trees, that is found in hot countries, especially in Africa
• legacy: something of lasting value handed down from a predecessor for future generations
• habitats: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives

EXTRA READING

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Animal numbers up in Africa

Elderly camel living the high life

QUICK QUIZ

1. How old is antelope calf Tshepo?
2. What does the clicking sound convey to the other antelopes?
3. How much does a fully grown adult antelope weigh in kilos and what is that in tonnage?
4. It’s hoped that Tshepo will perform what important future role in the herd?
5. What does Tshepo’s name mean?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Animal communication
If antelope uses the clicking noise from their knees to communicate, work with a partner and list some other types of animal communication methods.

Animal                                                     Communication method

Antelope                                                  Clicking noise in knees to state age and status

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY

Animal alliterations
With a partner, make a list of other nouns you could use to name the antelope. For example, instead of a tiger, you could also say cat, or feline.

Pick your favourite noun and identify its initial sound — what sound it starts with, not necessarily what letter.

Now, using the initial sound, make a list of adjectives to describe the animal. Try to be specific. Don’t just look at the animal as a whole, look at their different features as well.

Build on these same sound words, and add any verbs and adverbs you could use to describe the animal and their movements.

Try to put it all together and use as many same sound words in a sentence, to create an alliteration about the animal in the picture. For example: the terrifying tiger, tiptoed through tangled trees chasing his prey.