Hartebeest - Alcelaphus buselaphus

The hartebeest is a large fawn coloured antelope that at first glance seems strangely mishappen and less elegant than other antelopes. Clumsy in appearance, it is hump-shouldered with a steeply sloping back, slim legs and a long, narrow face. It is one of the fastest antelopes and most enduring runner. These qualities give it the name "hartebeest" which means "tough ox".

Once the widest-ranging African antelope, hartebeests ranged from the Mediterranean to the Cape, and from Senegal to Somalia. Greatly reduced in numbers and range, but some 10 different populations distinctive enough to be considered different races still survive south of the Sahara.