Hirola

Hirola :: Beatragus hunteri

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 081

On today’s show we learn about the Hirola, a critically endangered land mammal, an antelope, native to to eastern Africa, specifically Kenya and Somalia, with two subpopulations, one within the Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, and another in unprotected land on the Somali-Kenyan border in Garissa County, Kenya. Its scientific name is Beatragus hunteri, and it was first described in 1889.

For more information about Hirola conservation please see the Hirola Conservation Program at https://www.hirolaconservation.org

• (00:05) Intro
• (02:05) Species Information
• (21:29) Citations
• (23:47) Music
• (29:42) Pledge

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

• Andanje, S. A., & Ottichilo, W. K. (1999). Population status and feeding habits of the translocated sub-population of Hunter's antelope or hirola (Beatragus hunteri, Sclater, 1889) in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology, 37(1), 38–48. – https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2028.1999.00141.x
• Andanje, S. A. (2002). Factors limiting the abundance and distribution of hirola (Beatragus hunteri) in Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University]. Newcastle University eTheses. – http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1048
• Ali, A. H., Kauffman, M. J., Amin, R., et al. (2018). Demographic drivers of a refugee species: Large-scale experiments guide strategies for reintroductions of hirola. Ecological Applications, 28, 275–283. – https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1664
• Ali, A. H., & Kivai, S. (2026). Drivers of Hirola Antelope Diet Selection in Natural and Managed Habitat in Eastern Kenya. Ecology and Evolution, 16(1), e72980. – https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72980
• iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=-1.375032027&nelng=40.634809542&quality_grade=research&subview=map&swlat=-2.322767254&swlng=39.657286413&view=species
• IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group. 2017. Beatragus hunteri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T6234A50185297. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T6234A50185297.en
• Jowers, M. J., Queirós, J., Resende Pinto, R., Ali, A. H., Mutinda, M., Angelone, S., Alves, P. C., & Godinho, R. (2020). Genetic diversity in natural range remnants of the critically endangered hirola antelope. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 190(1), 384–395. – https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz174
• Kimitei, K.K., Kimanzi, J. and Andanje, S.A. (2015), Habitat suitability modelling for Hirola (Beatragus hunteri) in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology, 53: 550-559. – https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12248
• Lundgren, E. J., Wallach, A. D., Svenning, J.-C., Schlaepfer, M. A., Andersson, A. L. A., & Ramp, D. (2024). Preventing extinction in an age of species migration and planetary change. Conservation Biology, 38(6), e14270. – https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14270
• Olney, H. 2002. "Beatragus hunteri" (Online), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 8, 2026. – https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Beatragus_hunteri/
• Probert, J., Evans, B., Andanje, S., Kock, R., & Amin, R. (2015). Population and habitat assessment of the Critically Endangered hirola Beatragus hunteri in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. Oryx, 49(3), 514–520. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605313000902
• Ruso, G. E. (2017). Beatragus hunteri (Artiodactyla: Bovidae). Mammalian Species, 49(955), 119–127. – https://doi.org/10.1093/mspecies/sex015
• Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirola
• Yassin, M., Mohamed, A. M., Isiah, S., & Abdullahi, A. (2024). Assessment of Community Capacity Building and Recovery of the Hirola Antelope in Ijara Sub-County, Garrissa County, Kenya. American Journal of Environment Studies, 7(3), 1-16. – https://doi.org/10.47672/ajes.2094

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A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.