Werribee Zoo welcomes new member

Clicky knees are a form of kinship; a secret language of the Eland that their newest member needs to master.

Werribee Zoo has debuted the newest hero of their herd, a 1-year old young antelope by the name of Tshepo [pronounced: seh-poh].

Eland calf, Tshepo, is a new arrival at the Zoo from South Australia’s Monarto Safari Park. At the tender age of just one year old, he joins an adult herd of 19 Eland, with his destiny to one day become the herd’s breeding bull.

Werribee Zoo

Where: K Road, Werribee South Vic. 3030

When: Open daily 9am – 5pm

Keep up to date with what is happening in and around regional Victoria here.

With a name of Southern African origin meaning ‘hope’ or ‘faith’ in Sotho, chosen by Werribee Open Range Zoo’s keepers, Tshepo is settling into his new home having been introduced to the fellow Eland members of the open range facilities. Eland are the largest antelope species in the world, weighing in at more than 1000 kilograms (one tonne) when fully grown. Tshepo, in comparison, currently weighs a slender 160 kilograms and still needs to grow into his clicky knees.

“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,” says Werribee Open Range Zoo Savannah Keeper Sharlina Burns.

The clicking was contagious during Tshepo’s introduction from the Eland males and females. Males tend to develop a louder, deeper click as they mature and grow muscle and mass at around 2-3 years of age, but even females can click. Interestingly the sound can sometimes be heard up to one kilometre away.

“Tshepo was the first new Eland to join the herd in more than six years. 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 perfectly time for young male calves to go off and learn from other male Eland,” Burns says.

Tshepo shows promising signs of becoming a leader in the group. 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, however habitat destruction for agricultural expansion and illegal hunting have resulted in considerable reductions of their range and populations. The Werribee Open Range Zoo herd is thriving with Tshepo set to add to their dynamic.

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.

Find out more about Werribee Zoo here.