Gerenuk!

Ivor is a Gerenuk, a giraffe gazelle, found in East Africa. Gerenuks mark their territory using a preorbital gland in front of their eyes that emits a scent-bearing tar-like substance. Their necks are exceptionally long, and their eyes and ears large. Males have stout and heavily ringed horns. Gerenuks’ short tail looks longer because it ends in a tuft of black hair. They also have scent glands on their knees that are covered by tufts of hair and between their split hooves. Gerenuks stand erect on their hind legs to browse on tall bushes and use their front legs to pull down higher branches. They do not eat grass nor require water as they get enough moisture from the plant life they eat. Ivor is a Gerenuk who lives as a solitary male.

Pronghorn

Today Ivor eluded me. I had wanted to see him and Jonathan before they left for Washington, but a dentist's appointment that went too long delayed me, and by the time I got to the office, they were gone!

In honor of Ivor's swift escape from the DC area, Ivor is a pronghorn antelope. The second fastest land animal on Earth, the pronghorn vastly outruns any other animal on the American continents, reaching speeds over 60 mph - faster than my mother drives on the highway.

Evolutionary theorists have suggested that the pronghorn adapted to run so fast in order to escape predators that are now extinct, like the saber-toothed tiger. Others suggest that it is a way for males to show off when competing for mates. It may be some of both. In any case, we know that Ivor is a speed machine today. Or perhaps he would be, if Jonathan (or any of the rest of us) could keep up!