Derby Eland (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus)
The Derby Eland is one of the largest antelopes in the world along with the Common Eland. Both males and females have long, robust, twisted horns reaching over a meter in length. Single animals can be distinguished by the unique striping on their body sides. The number of stripes can vary between 11 to 17 and remain the same for the animal's whole life. The robust, black-and-white skin lobe starts right under the chin, ears are rounded. Males are larger than females, but despite this, they still appear graceful and elegant.
Conservation program
The Western Derby Eland is critically endangered, the last 200 animals live in the wild in the Senegalese National Park Nikolo Koba. In 2000 six animals has been captured in the wild which has become the core of the conservation program. The animals were placed in a fenced reservation Bandia where they procreate successfully each year since 2002. A team of scientists and specialists from the Czech University of Life Sciences participate in the conservation program for 11 years. Their work includes the identification of parents of newly born calves, organization and realization of difficult transports of selected animals to new breeding herds (e.g. Bandia and Fathala reserves in Senegal), and estimation of basic genetic and demographic parameters of the population.
An integral part of the Czech-team work is also research associated with the ecology and behavior of the antelopes. The continuum of the conservation program ensures a series of educational activities for both, local Senegalese citizens and the Czech public.
Join us!
To support the conservation program of Derby Eland, the Derbianus Conservation association has been established in 2010. If you have been intrigued by the fate of the Derby Eland or the fact, that the Czech Republic is participating in its conservation, you have a chance to join us and try to save this unique species along with us.
Contacts: 
Ing. Karolína Brandlová, PhD.
email: karolina@derbianus.cz
Derbianus Conservation, z.s.
Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze
Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha 6 Suchdol
Derbianus Conservation Website
www.gianteland.com
