The one-ton antelope hiding from man

Why do the people of the tribes in East Africa and in the south hold a preliminary ceremony before hunting eland, despite it being a protected animal, because of the wasps that surround it

Eland (Kana) or in its scientific name Taurotragus is an impressive animal. In the coming months, many Israelis will visit nature reserves in Africa in general and East Africa and Tanzania in particular. At these sites you will see the huge variety of the inhabitants of the savannah, with the most prominent in the field being the ungulates.

In Africa there are more than 90 species of antelope that belong to the primate family. According to the "Organization for the Conservation of Nature" (IUCN), there are about 25 endangered species among the Persians.
One of the endangered species, which is also the largest and heaviest among them, is the eland, known by its Hebrew name, the cana. There are two species: Tragelaphus derbianus whose distribution area is in West and Central Africa mainly in forested areas, and the species that is easier to see is Taurotragus oryx whose distribution area is in East Africa and the south, in savannahs and open grassy plains.

I mentioned the island before In a failed attempt to grow "kosher game meat". There was also an attempt to raise herds of eland in military bases to be used as "lawn mowers". In the wild, small herds of about 15 individuals graze and cover large areas in their search for pasture.

Despite its size (it weighs up to a ton), it is difficult to see because of its shyness that runs away from people. The fear is justified because their size and weight are a source of attraction for local hunters. Even the Maasai whose laws prohibit the killing of wild animals permit the hunting of the kana. The permit stems from the belief that the Eiland is a "species of cattle" but the permit to hunt is conditional on unique ceremonies.

The need for the unique rituals stems from the fact that in African tribes there is widespread belief in "superpowers" that protect plants, insects, birds and animals. The belief stems from animistic (animistic), meaning attributing a soul to any object, animal or phenomenon.

We will note here that contrary to conventional wisdom, most African tribes are not "idol worshipers". Most of them believe in one god who usually "sits" on a high mountain. The one God controls the forces of nature and in order to "communicate" with him it is necessary to talk to dead spirits (those who brought idolatry to Africa were the Christian missionaries who "taught" the locals to pray to dolls).

Back to the island. Despite (and perhaps because of) being a wanted hunter there are beliefs surrounding him that are supposed to protect him, the religious belief is the one that protects the island and makes killing it dangerous and complicated and that is why preliminary rituals are necessary.

Many believe that even when facing a large herd of hunting, he will not be able to shoot and kill one eland, because according to tradition, before going out to hunt eland, the hunter must ask for advice and permission from the spirits of his ancestors. The request is made in a special ceremony in which the names of respected leaders who led the tribe during wars or natural disasters are mentioned. The honored names have spiritual powers that cleanse the body and soul of the hunter, and above all provide him with a special power to protect against wasps, since wherever there are wasps that protect the island.

The popular belief is that the wasps that protect the island live in a nest built in its forehead. Island males carry larger nests with more wasps than females or young. In another area, the hunters believe that in order to get protection from the wasps they have to ask forgiveness from their wives, relatives and neighbors. After the apology, the hunt will be lucky and the Eland herd will be found.

"Bad" and irresponsible hunters, "washed with evil spirits" who try to hunt eland with poisoned arrows will be attacked by the wasps that will sting them in the back. The sting is not felt but will make the "bad" hunter fall asleep and the herd will disappear. The sleeping hunter runs the risk of being predated by lions or if sleeping on the river bank there is a chance that the hunter will drown or be eaten by crocodiles.

The Maasai believe that those who go hunting for an island must undergo a purification ceremony after which they must carry a ceremonial staff in addition to their weapons. When the hunter sees a herd of iland he must break the staff into seven pieces and throw towards the herd, if it is a suitable time for one of the individuals to die he will stand while the rest of the herd flees, allowing the hunter to kill effectively.

In many of the tribes it is forbidden to kill pregnant females or a male who is near a pregnant female, if the prohibition is accidentally violated, the hunted individual will fall on his chest which is a clear message to the hunter that he has violated a prohibition and therefore he must abandon the carcass in order not to be punished with cruel punishment by his ancestors. Around the heart of the iland there is a fat that is considered to have medicinal properties, with no fat. The fat will disappear when the hunted is a pregnant female or an accompanying male. Hunters from East and South Africa point out the wisdom of the eland that to hunt it you need a "smart rifle".

So much for the reference to the island according to the tradition and beliefs of the locals. It should be noted that the beliefs concerning Eiland are widespread and identical in almost all areas of their distribution, from the east, through the center to the south of the African continent.

There is of course also a reference from researchers and scientists: the herds of the eland graze in the field where each individual acts as an observer and each individual will sound a danger call if necessary, when the danger call is heard they will all jump to heights of up to three meters and run at a speed that reaches 80 km/h, despite their size and weight ( As mentioned, up to 1000 kg).

Among other things, it is claimed that it is difficult even for lions to hunt the eland because of the "nervous" behavior of the herd members even while grazing in the open. According to measurements, the Island can accelerate up to a speed of 80 km/h and run at a speed of 40 km/h for 20 minutes or more.

One of the unsolved mysteries is the connection between the eland and wasps. It turns out that the tradition and beliefs about wasps protecting the island are based on the constant presence of wasps around the herd. Researchers trying to test what appears to be a symbiotic relationship between the wasp swarms and the island herds have not found an answer.

If I started with the assumption that in the coming months many people will visit the living areas of the island, then we will end with a warning - when you see the island, do not try to get close for fear of being stung by the wasps.