Bubal Hartebeest
Encyclopedia
The Bubal Hartebeest is classified as an extinct antelope.
The statement that the antelope was extinct in 1923 has been refuted by the following source written in 1945 (Extinct and vanishing mammals of the Old World (1945)by Harper, Francis
). The Bubal still existed in 1925 in the region of Missour (eastern Morocco)...It perhaps still lives in the south of Geryville (Algeria).
The name Hartebeest is a Dutch
word (originally spelled hertebeest) which means deer. The Bubal Hartebeest stood at around 122 cm (4 ft) at the shoulder. It also had lyre-shaped horns. The Bubal Hartebeest is believed to have once lived in Algeria
, Egypt
, Libya
, Morocco
and Tunisia
. It may also have resided in the Middle East. The Hartebeest was once domesticated by Egyptians and may have been used as a sacrificial animal
. Its horns in tombs at Abadiyeh
indicated its importance as a food source and in mythology. It is even mentioned in the Old Testament
under the name Yachmur (1 Kings 4:23) . Starting in the 1900s the Bubal Hartebeest could only be found in Algeria and the Moroccan High Atlas
. Many Hartebeests were captured and were kept alive (e.g. in the London Zoo from 1883 to 1907), but they eventually died out. In 1923, a Bubal Hartebeest female that died in a Paris Zoo is believed to have been that last one remaining.
The ancient Egyptians had a hieroglyph
meaning "baby hartebeest":E9
The statement that the antelope was extinct in 1923 has been refuted by the following source written in 1945 (Extinct and vanishing mammals of the Old World (1945)by Harper, Francis
Francis Harper (biologist)
Francis Harper was an American naturalist. His research included studies of the Okefenokee Swamp and fieldwork in the north eastern United States and in northern Canada, and he also studied the 18th century American naturalists John and William Bartram...
). The Bubal still existed in 1925 in the region of Missour (eastern Morocco)...It perhaps still lives in the south of Geryville (Algeria).
The name Hartebeest is a Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word (originally spelled hertebeest) which means deer. The Bubal Hartebeest stood at around 122 cm (4 ft) at the shoulder. It also had lyre-shaped horns. The Bubal Hartebeest is believed to have once lived in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. It may also have resided in the Middle East. The Hartebeest was once domesticated by Egyptians and may have been used as a sacrificial animal
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
. Its horns in tombs at Abadiyeh
Abadiyeh
-Archaeological:W. M. Flinders Petrie was assisted with excavations by David Randall-MacIver and Arthur Cruttenden Mace, these having been done on the behalf of the Egyptian Exploration Fund . The excavations, considered in totality, consisted of sites along the west bank of the Nile in the Hiw...
indicated its importance as a food source and in mythology. It is even mentioned in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
under the name Yachmur (1 Kings 4:23) . Starting in the 1900s the Bubal Hartebeest could only be found in Algeria and the Moroccan High Atlas
High Atlas
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa.The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly...
. Many Hartebeests were captured and were kept alive (e.g. in the London Zoo from 1883 to 1907), but they eventually died out. In 1923, a Bubal Hartebeest female that died in a Paris Zoo is believed to have been that last one remaining.
The ancient Egyptians had a hieroglyph
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
meaning "baby hartebeest":