Antelope

The antelope is the common name applied to a large group of hollow-horned ruminants of the family Bovidae, which also includes cattle, goats, and sheep. The group comprises about 150 species, of which most are found in Africa and the remainder in Asia.

Ancient Egyptians kept herds of gazelles for meat, and occasionally pets. It is unknown whether they were truly domesticated.

The English word "antelope" first appears in 1417 and is derived from the Old French antelop, itself derived from Medieval Latin ant(h)alopus.

The first successful corneal transplant was performed by a British army surgeon in India in 1835. His pet antelope had only one eye and it had a badly scarred cornea. He removed a cornea from a newly killed antelope and transplanted it into his pet’s eye. The operation was successful and his pet was able to see.

The first recorded use of the word bongo for a breed of African antelope was in 1861.

Almost half of the world's saiga antelopes, a critically endangered species, died in May 2015 from a mysterious illness suspected to be pasteurellosis.

The royal antelope, a West African antelope, is recognized as the world's smallest antelope. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The royal antelope stands up to merely 10 inches (25 cms)  at the shoulder and weighs 5.5-6.6 pounds (2.5–3 kms).

A Royal Antelope at the San Diego Zoo. By Mirko Raner - Wikipedia Commons

The giant eland is recognized as the world's largest antelope. First described in 1847 by John Edward Gray it has a body length ranging from 220–290 cm (86.5–114 in) and weighs up to about 680 kg (about 1500 lb). 

One species of antelope, the Sitatunga, can sleep underwater. 

A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. When frightened, they dive through the bushes and then stand on their hind legs to look around. 

The blesbok, a South African antelope, is almost the same color as grape juice.

When a predator is chasing an impala (see below), a type of antelope, it runs in a zig zag formation jumping as high as three metres (9 ft 10 in).

Prong Horned Antelope have vision ten times stronger than average - On a clear night, they can see the rings of Saturn.

Unlike the deer, which they resemble in body and in habits, antelope have unbranched, hollow horns that are never shed. 

Antelope are generally swift, and some species are the fastest of the quadrupeds, attaining speeds of 97 km/hr (60 mph). 

Sources Funk & Wagnells Encyclopedia, Wikipedia greatfacts.com