Swayne's hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei'') is an endangered

antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

native to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

. Two of the largest remaining populations are located in

Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary is a protected area in the Oromia Region (or ''kilil'') of Ethiopia, dedicated especially to the protection of the Swayne's hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei''). Covering 54 square kilometers, the ...

, Nechisar National Park and Maze National Park. It has been

extirpated Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinctions. Local extinctions mark a chan ...

from

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. It is named after British officer H. G. C. Swayne (1860–1940). When it comes to their population status, during the times before the early 1890s the Swayne's hartebeest was very common throughout Ethiopia and Somalia. The population then declined due to an epidemic during the mid-1890s which brought about an extremely high mortality rate for wildlife and livestock which were labeled as "in danger of extermination". Swayne's hartebeest exhibits ecological differences from other subspecies of

hartebeest The hartebeest (; ''Alcelaphus buselaphus''), also known as kongoni or kaama, is an Fauna of Africa, African antelope. It is the Monotypic taxon, only member of the genus ''Alcelaphus''. Eight subspecies have been described, including two som ...

s in that tend to inhabit grassland habitats during the wet and dry seasons. They tend to select short grass areas of no more than 30 centimeters for feeding and have a preference for burned grassland patches. The preference for burned grassland patches has become relevant in the development of effective conservation strategies for the subspecies.

References

Swayne's hartebeest Swayne's hartebeest (''Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei'') is an endangered antelope native to Ethiopia. Two of the largest remaining populations are located in Senkelle Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary, Nechisar National Park and Maze National Park. It ...

Mammals of Ethiopia Endemic fauna of Ethiopia Fauna of the Horn of Africa

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