Israel uses the Eland Antelope (Taurotragus oryx) as a new front line force to protect the Israeli-Lebanese border

Israel Occupation Army (Israel Defense Forces) already uses spy drones, automated sentry towers, and slew of sophisticated sensors, to keep watch over its borders. The latest addition to the arsenal: a group of eight African Eland Antelope (Taurotragus oryx Pallas, 1766), each weighing nearly 500 kilograms.

The African Eland antelope have been stationed in the zone between the high-security Israeli fence and the southern Lebanese border to clear problematic foliage that distorts views of the Lebanese side and within which “Hezbo Allah” fighters could hide and stage an attack on Israeli border guards.

The animals are known for their sharp incisors and fondness for eating vegetation.     The Eland was first brought to Israeli zoos from eastern Africa in the 1970s as part of a project to raise them at local zoos before sending them to zoos in Europe, and a decade ago was introduced on to army bases to cut down the cost of maintenance. "They eat huge quantities of weeds, they are the D9 of weeds," said Ilan Hagai, of the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, referring to the massive bulldozers the IDF uses to clear “enemy” territory. "They clean problematic areas, open trails and a view and prevent fires."

Ilan Hagai explained that the capacity of the antelope was already known, but took about a decade until they were more antelope in captivity to launch the idea of eliminating the bad herbs that grow every two years.

Israel's occupation establishment has apparently caught onto the beasts' impressive ability to quickly chew through large quantities, as well as the low cost of looking after them and their environmental-friendliness. 
                                                                                                                                                                  "The elands eat tremendous quantities and do a wonderful job clearing the weeds at enormous or secret military installations, and in places where there are ammunition store rooms, where the fear of fires is greater," says Israeli expert Yossi Ben. "In these places the elands save on manpower and obviate the need for spraying chemical herbicides."

There are now "between 500 and 700 elands" at military bases throughout Israel, according to the Ha’aretz Newspaper. And it’s not the Israeli Defense Forces' only four-legged deployment. The Israel Prison Service uses special microphone and audio-processing software to interpret dogs' barks into alarms. And in addition to the army's elite canine unit, Oketz, IDF infantry units have also used llamas to transport supplies into Lebanon.

This is not the first time that the IDF has augmented its forces with animals. Oketz, the combat canine unit, actually predates the IDF and founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization that was a precursor to the Jewish State’s current army.

During the last Lebanon war, the IDF used Llamas to schlep heavy loads. After extensive tests, the uncomplaining work-horse animals were found to easily out-perform donkeys. What’s more, they need refueling only every other day. Military sources said the Israel Army plans to use llamas for reconnaissance and combat missions in “enemy” territory, Middle East Newsline reported. They described the llama as ideal for special operations missions in Lebanon against the Hezbo Allah. “The llama is a quiet and disciplined animal that can carry huge loads,” a military source said. “Vehicles make noise and need roads and fuel. We’ve tried donkeys and they are not suitable for such missions.”

The commander, Tal, said that during the last Lebanon war the Israeli army tried using llamas to carry the heavy loads needed for combat. But the experiment failed. “They ran right off to the Hezbollah fighters with our stuff,” Tal says. “We had to shoot them to keep our things from falling into the hands of Hezbo Allah.”

The Common Eland Antelope (Taurotragus oryx Pallas, 1766):

The Common Eland (Taurotragus (Tragelaphus) oryx, also known as the Southern Eland) is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa.

Description:

The Common Eland is considered, alongside the ironically similarly-dimensioned Giant Eland (Taurotragus derbianus), the largest species of "antelope", though in many respects the Elands are quite bovine. Females weigh 300–600 kg (660–1,300 lb), measure 200–280 cm (79–110 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 125–153 cm (49–60 in) at the shoulder. Bulls weigh 400–1,000 kg (880–2,200 lb), are 240–345 cm (94–140 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and stand 150–183 cm (59–72 in) at the shoulder. The tail adds a further 50–90 cm (20–35 in). Females have a tan coat, while males have a darker tan coat with a blueish-grey tinge; there may also be a series of white stripes vertically on the sides of bulls (mainly in parts of the karoo in South Africa). Males have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap. Both sexes have horns, about 65 cm (26 in) long and with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the bushbuck). The female's horns are wider set and thinner than the male's.

Ontogeny and Reproduction:

Gestation Period: 9 months.
Young per Birth: 1
Weaning: After 6 months.
Sexual Maturity: Females at 15-36 months, males at 4-5 years.
Life span: Up to 25 years.

After birth the young lie briefly in concealment before joining a crèche or nursery with other infants.

Ecology and Behaviour:

Common Eland live on the open plains of Southern Africa and along the foothills of the great South African plateau. They eat grass, branches and leaves and are most active in the morning and late afternoon, lying sheltered in the heat of the day.  A very gregarious species, the common eland is always found in large herds with 25 to 80 individuals, but are known to exceed 400, and with no dispersion during the rainy season.  A possible explanation for this is the strong mutual attraction by calves, and a "safety-in-numbers" strategy.  The Common Eland has an unusual social life, leaving or joining herds as necessary without forming close ties. Elands are remarkably fast, have been recorded running over 70 km.p.h. / 42 m.p.h.  Despite their size, they are exceptional jumpers, easily clearing heights of 1.5 m / 5 feet.  Home range sizes vary dramatically with respect to sex and season.  In the dry season, males used an average of 11.7 square kilometers out of their 41.1 square kilometer total range.  Female herds had a dry season range of 26.1 square kilometers, while in the wet season this expanded to 222.0 square kilometers.  There is no exclusive use of space or evidence for territoriality, but adult males within maternal herds have a distinct social hierarchy. The size and power of the bull Eland generally (but not always) discourages predators, but females are thought to be more vulnerable to attack. Known Eland predators include lions, Spotted Hyenas, African Wild Dogs and, rarely, leopards.

Taxonomy:

Common Eland are sometimes considered part of the genus Tragelaphus, but are usually categorised as Taurotragus, along with the Giant Eland.

Uses:

Common Eland are sometimes farmed and/or hunted for their meat, and in some cases can be better utilized than cattle due to their being more suited to their natural habitat. This has led to some Southern African farmers switching from cattle to eland.

Name:

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 "Eland antelope" to distinguish it from the moose, which is found in the northern boreal forests.

References and Internet Websites:

Abd Rabou, Dr. Abdel Fattah Nazmi (2009). Israel uses the ‘Plant Killer’ against ‘Hezbo Allah’: The African Giant ‘Eland’ ‘destroys’ the green cover and expose the other ‘front’ soldiers. Felesteen Newspaper, Environment Section, Page 26, Sunday 12 Safar 1430 H, 8 February 2009. (In Arabic). http://www.felesteen.ps/                                                                      Ashkenazi, Eli , Haaretz Correspondent. IDF adds antelope to its arsenal in fight against Hezbollah.  Haaretz. 25/01/2009.       http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1058506.html                                             Aurora. IDF: antelope in its fight against Hezbollah.            http://noti.hebreos.net/enlinea/en/2009/01/26/3792/comment-page-1/        BENNET, JAMES (2003). Gaza Journal; A Good Spring for the Flowers and the Antelopes. The New York Times. Published: Thursday, April 10, 2003.   www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/world/gaza-journal-a-good-spring-for-the-flowers-and-the-antelopes.html                                                                                                   Common Eland: Tragelaphus (Taurotragus) oryx.    http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/wildlife/common_eland.shtml                                      Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx).             www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/Behavior/Spring2005/Rivers/rivers.html Common Eland. www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Common_Eland                             Common Eland. www.arkive.org/common-eland/tragelaphus-oryx/                           Elenantilope. www.world-of-animals.de/Tierlexikon/Tierart_Elenantilope.html Elenantilope. http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/dokument/dokument.html?id=54414416&suchbegriff=Elenantilope&top=Lexikon                                                                          ELENANTILOPE (Tragelaphus oryx) - ELAND ANTELOPE.            www.zoovienna.at/elenant.html                                                                         Elenantilopen. http://de.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575843/Elenantilope.html Falconer, Bruce (2009) . Israeli Army Deploys Antelope In Battle Against Hezbollah. January 27, 2009.     www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/01/israeli-army-deploys-antelope-battle-against-hezbollah                                                                                         Giant Eland.  www.waza.org/virtualzoo/factsheet.php?id=119-009-006-001&view=Antelopes                                                                                                                         Giant Eland.  www.cogsci.indiana.edu/farg/harry/bio/zoo/elandg.htm                     Harry (2009). IDF recruits antelope to guard northern border. January 28, 2009. http://israelity.com/2009/01/28/idf-recruits-antelope-to-guard-northern-border/         IEA (Institute of Applied Ecology) 1998. Taurotragus derbianus. In African Mammals Databank - A Databank for the Conservation and Management of the African Mammals Vol 1 and 2. Bruxelles: European Commission Directorate. Available online at http://gorilla.bio.uniroma1.it/amd/amd333b.html                                                              Khalaf-von Palästina, Norman Ali Bassam (1988). The Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in Palestine. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Rilchingen-Hanweiler, Federal Republic of Germany. Number 17, Sixth Year, Ramadan 1408 AH, Mai 1988 AD. pp. 1-8. Khalaf-von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam (1992). An Introduction to the Animal Life in Palestine. Gazelle. Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin. Bonn-Bad Godesberg, Federal Republic of Germany. Number 30, Tenth Year, October 1992. pp. 1-7. (in Arabic).                                                                                                                                          Khalaf-von Jaffa, Norman Ali Bassam (1994). An Introduction to the Animal Life in Palestine. Shqae’q Al-Nouma’n (Anemone coronaria). A Quarterly Magazine Issued by the Program EAI (Education for Awareness and for Involvement). Environmental Education / Children for Nature Protection. In Cooperation with Dept. of General and Higher Education. P.L.O., Palestine. Number 4. Huzairan (June) 1994. pp. 16-21. (in Arabic).                                                                                                                                            Khalaf, Norman Ali Bassam (2001). The Extinct and Endangered Animals in Palestine. In: Gazelle: The Palestinian Biological Bulletin Home Page. Extinct and Endangered Animals and Reintroduction.       http://gazelle.8m.net/photo3.html
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