Damalops (SciiFii)

The Asian bontebok (Damalops palaeindicus), also known as the Asiatic bontebok, the Indian bontebok, the Asian hartebeest, the Asiatic hartebeest, and the Indian hartebeest, is a species of bovid of the subfamily Alcelaphinae that originally lived during the Pliocene and Pleistocene in southern Asia and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout the modern rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across southern Asia to help boost biodiversity. The Asian bontebok is a tall, medium-sized antelope. They typically stand 80 to 100 centimeters (31 to 39 inches) high at the shoulder and measure 120 to 210 centimeters (47 to 83 inches) along the head and body. The tail can range from 30 to 60 centimeters (12 to 24 inches). Body mass can vary from 50 to 155 kilograms (110 to 342 lbs). Males are slightly larger and noticeably heavier than females. The Asian bontebok is a greyish brown colour, with a thick, black stripe on each side of its lower body, a white underside and a white stripe from the forehead to the tip of the nose. The Asian bontebok is similar to its relatives, but with rather thin, simple curved horns, unlike the more complexly shaped, mostly lyre-shaped horns of other alcelaphines. Asian bonteboks are grazing herbivores, their diet is almost exclusively grass. The Asian bontebok is a selective feeder and uses its elongated muzzle and flexible lips to forage for the youngest blades of grass. Asian bonteboks are not as capable as other grazers at feeding from short sward, and during the rainy season avoid both long mature grass and very short pasture, whereas in the dry season they move to any area with the most amount of grass. When they have access to enough green vegetation, Asian bonteboks usually do not need to drink. They drink more when relying on dry grass. Asian bonteboks declare their territory through a variety of behaviours. Territorial behaviour includes moving in an erect posture, high-stepping, defecating in a crouch stance, ground-horning, mud packing, shoulder-wiping and grunting. The most important aggressive display of territorial dominance is in the horning of the ground. Another far more curious form of territory marking is through the anointing of their foreheads and horns with secretions from glands near their eyes. Asian bonteboks accomplish this by inserting grass stems into their preorbital glands to coat them with secretion, then waving it around, letting the secretions fall onto their heads and horns. This process is not as commonly seen as ground-horning, nor is its purpose as well known. When the resident male of a territory is absent, the dominant female may assume his behaviours, defending against outside Asian bonteboks of either sex using the rocking canter and performing the high-stepping display. Several of their behaviours strike scientists as peculiar. One such behaviour is the habit of sleeping Asian bonteboks to rest their mouths on the ground with their horns sticking straight up into the air. Male Asian bonteboks have also been observed standing in parallel ranks with their eyes closed, bobbing their heads back and forth. These habits are peculiar because scientists have yet to find a proper explanation for their purposes or functions. Mating in Asian bonteboks takes place throughout the year, with one or two peaks that can be influenced by the availability of food. Both males and females reach sexual maturity at one to two years of age. Reproduction varies by the subspecies and local factors. Mating takes place in the territories defended by a single male, mostly in open areas. The males may fight fiercely for dominance, following which the dominant male smells the female's senses, and follows her if she is in oestrus. Sometimes a female in oestrus holds out her tail slightly to signal her receptivity, and the male tries to block the female's way. She may eventually stand still and allow the male to mount her. Copulation is brief and is often repeated, sometimes twice or more in a minute. Any intruder at this time is chased away. In large herds, females often mate with several males. Gestation is eight to nine months long, after which a single calf weighing about 9 kilograms (20 lbs) is born. Births usually peak in the dry season, and take place in thickets – unlike the African wildebeest, which give birth in groups on the plains. Though calves can move about on their own shortly after birth, they usually lie in the open in close proximity of their mothers. The calf is weaned at four months, but young males stay with their mothers for two and a half years, longer than in many other Alcelaphini. Often the mortality rate of male juveniles is high, as they have to face the aggression of territorial adult males and are also deprived of good forage by them. The lifespan is 12 to 15 years. The conservation status of the Asian bontebok is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the Asian bontebok's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.