Gerenuk (Litocranius Walleri) Swahili: Swala Twiga (Native language)The Gerenuk is probably the easiest of all the Antelopes to identify because of its in ordinately long neck, which accounts for its Swahili name "Swala Twiga", meaning Giraffe-Gazelle. Growing to around 100 cm at the shoulder, the Gerenuk is a dark fawn colour on the back which becomes lighter on the sides and belly. The horns are found on the male only and curve gently backward and grow up to 40 cm long. The Gerenuk's habitat ranges from dry thorn bush country to semidesert and its food consists mainly of the tender leaves and shoots of the acacia bushes. It is quite capable, in the same way as a goat, of standing on its legs and using one of its forelegs to pull down the higher branches of bushes to get at the leaves and shoots. Also like goats, they are quite capable of doing without water.
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