Golden Gate Highlands National Park Things to Do

The largest antelope one can find in the Golden National Park is the Eland. The name Eland is derived from the Dutch word for moose. When Dutch settlers came to the Cape Province they named the largest wild ruminant herbivore they met with the name of the huge northern herbivore. In Dutch the animal is called "Elandantelope" to distinguish it from the Moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests.
They have a hump at the shoulder and a broad fold of skin hanging from the neck. Elands are said to be one of the slowest antelopes and can even jump over a height of 2.5 meters or above. Elands have an average lifespan of 15–20 years, and some have been known to live for as long as 25 years. When walking, tendon or joints in the eland's foreleg produce a sharp clicking sound, the cause of which has not been widely investigated. The sound carries some distance and is a good indication of an approaching herd.