CAN A SINGLE SPECIES SAVE AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM?
The story of the mountain nyala of Ethiopia is an interesting one. In September of 1910 the English naturalist Rich Lydekker received word from a Piccadilly taxidermist Mr. Rowland Ward. He reported that the skin, scull and horns of an unknown kudu-like antelope had been brought into his taxidermy shop. The animal had been shot in the Abyssinian Highlands by a Mr. Ivor Buxton earlier that year. It appeared to be a cross between an nyala and a kudu and it was suggested that it be known as the spotted kudu.
Lydekker received the donated specimen on behalf of the British Museum and gave it the Latin name Tragelaphus buxtoni. He thought that it looked more like an nyala than a kudu and decided on mountain nyala for it’s common name. Little did he know at the time that the link between this species and safari hunting would be responsible for the preservation of Afro-montane woodland in central Ethiopia in the 21st century.
This 5-minute documentary follows this story and is an abridged version of the full 30-minute documentary.
