Faculty of Tropical AgriScience

Introduction

Elands have been bred at CZU Common Eland Research Facilities at Lány under the management of the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (FTA CZU) since 2006.

Aims of our husbandry at CZU Common Eland Research Facilities at Lány:

To evaluate the breeding technology from an animal welfare perspective and raise this species for meat production in the Czech Republic.
To continue with scientific research and further knowledge about eland.
To educate and train students of CZU in breeding techniques with semi-domesticated species and to sponsor student research.

Brief history of CZU Common Eland Research Facilities

The first five of our eland were captive born in Dvůr Králové ZOO (Czech Republic) and were the fifth and sixth captive generation after Mr. J. Vágner imported them from East Africa in 1969 and 1972. One male and five females were kept at private farm BioTop Šidlov since 1998 and have been under management of ITS CZU since 2000. From 2002 – 2006, the elands were temporarily placed at farm Březová, near Kutná Hora, where reproduction began. Fifteen calves were born there. The elands were the transferred to the new CZU Common Eland Research Facilities Lány in spring 2006, which arose by recultivation of abandoned and weed-overgrown land after former horticulture. By 2021 a total of 304 calves were born within the program.

Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

Together with the Giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus) are the largest antelope species. Herds of common eland range over the savannas of East and South Africa. A male weighs up to 900 kg and his withers can reach 180 cm. Females are half the size, weighing about 400 kg with withers reaching 165 cm. The minimum weight for conception is over 200 kg and this could be reached at one year of age. Males are sexually mature approximately one year later than females. The gestation period lasts 270 days and usually one calf is born. In captivity, a maximum life span of 23 years has been described.

Selected publications

Musa AS, Needham T, Kotrba R, Neradilova S, Ganswindt A, Ceacero F (2021). Habituation of common eland (Taurotragus oryx) to intensive routine handling, and the effect of immunocastration thereon. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 237:105294.
Needham T, Kotrba R, Hoffman L, Bures D (2020). Ante- and post-mortem strategies to improve the meat quality of high-value muscles harvested from farmed male common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Meat Science 186:108183.
Hejcmanová P, Ortmann S, Stoklasová L, Clauss M (2020). Digesta passage in common eland (Taurotragus oryx) on a monocot or a dicot diet. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 110720.
Needham T, Laubser J, Kotrba R, Bureš D, Smyth H, Hoffman L (2020). Sensory characteristics of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum and biceps femoris muscles from male and female common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Meat Science 159:107918.
Bordes C, Ceacero F, Kotrba R (2018). Cues and mechanisms for lateral exposure preference in the common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 72:120-128.
Cappelli J, Garcia A, Kotrba R, Gambin P, Landete-Castillejos T, Gallego L, Ceacero F (2018). The bony horncore of the common eland (Taurotragus oryx): composition and mechanical properties of a spiral fighting structure. Journal of Anatomy 232:72-79.
Kucerova I, Marek S, Banout J (2018). Solar drying and sensory attributes of Eland (Taurotragus oryx) jerky. Journal of Food Quality 10: 1067672.
Bartova E, Kobedova K, Lamka J, Kotrba R, Vodicka R, Sedlak K (2017). Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in exotic ruminants and camelids in the Czech Republic. Parasitology Research 116:1925-1929.
Sebestova H, Vozdova M, Kubickova S, Cernohorska H, Kotrba R, Rubes J (2016). Effect of species-specific differences in chromosome morphology on chromatin compaction and the frequency and distribution of RAD51 and MLH1 foci in two bovid species: cattle (Bos taurus) and the common eland (Taurotragus oryx). Chromosoma 125:137-149.
Vadlejch J, Kotrba R, Čadková Z, Růžičková A, Langrová I (2015). Effects of age, sex, lactation and social dominance on faecal egg count patterns of gastrointestinal nematodes in farmed eland (Taurotragus oryx). Preventive Veterinary Medicine 121:265-272.
Kucerova I, Hubackova A, Rohlik BA, Banout J. 2015. Mathematical modeling of thin-layer solar drying of Eland (Taurotragus oryx) jerky. International Journal of Food Engineering 11:14.
Bartoň L, Bureš D, Kotrba R, Sales J (2014). Comparison of meat quality between eland (Taurotragus oryx) and cattle (Bos taurus) raised under similar conditions. Meat Science 96:346- 352.
Hejcmanová P, Vymyslická P, Koláčková K, Antonínová M, Havlíková B, Stejskalová M, Policht R, Hejcman M (2011). Suckling behavior of eland antelopes (Taurotragus spp.) under semi-captive and farm conditions. Journal of Ethology 29:161-168.
Kotrba R, Knížková I, Kunc P, Bartoš L (2007). Comparison between the coat temperature of the eland and dairy cattle by infrared thermography. Journal of Thermal Biology 32:355-359.