Mammals
Hirola
Beatragus hirola · also called four-eyed antelope, Hunter's hartebeest
Carrying glands below each eye striking enough to earn it the nickname “four-eyed antelope,” a hirola now numbers fewer than 500 individuals in the wild, the last living member of its genus and, by most measures, the most endangered antelope on Earth.
Overview
The hirola, Beatragus hirola, is a critically endangered antelope native to a narrow, shrinking range of savanna and grassland habitat along the Kenya-Somalia border. Its distinctive facial glands, status as the sole surviving member of its genus, and collapse to fewer than 500 wild individuals make it one of the most urgently threatened large mammals found anywhere in the world.
The last of its kind
Unlike most endangered antelope, which still have close relatives carrying the same broader lineage forward, the hirola’s extinction would end an entire genus outright, giving its conservation a weight that extends well beyond the fate of a single species.
Status
Critically Endangered, with fewer than 500 individuals remaining, confined to a narrow range along the Kenya-Somalia border.
Hirola: common questions
Why is the hirola called the "four-eyed antelope"?
This species carries large preorbital glands below each eye that resemble a second pair of eyes, a distinctive feature that earned it the nickname "four-eyed antelope."
How endangered is the hirola?
This species is considered the most endangered antelope in the world, with fewer than 500 individuals estimated to remain in the wild, confined to a narrow range along the Kenya-Somalia border.
Why is the hirola's conservation status especially significant?
This species is the only living member of its genus, Beatragus, meaning its potential extinction would represent the loss of an entire evolutionary lineage rather than just a single species among close relatives.
Do female hirola have horns?
Yes, this species has ridged, lyre-shaped horns present on both males and females, curving backward before sweeping upward near the tips.