The mountain nyala, also called Gedemsa, is a large bovid of the Ethiopian highlands. The Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority lists the Bale Mountains and Arsi Mountains among its localities.
Its coat is grey-brown, with white flank stripes and spots. Males darken with age, and only males carry horns.
The Gedemsa, or mountain nyala, is an antelope of the Ethiopian highlands. From June 2016 to February 2017, researchers observed groups in Arsi Mountains National Park, Munessa-Kuke Controlled Hunting Area and Muktar Mountain Forest Reserve. Across wet and dry seasons, they recorded 181 groups and 899 animals, comparing group size with vegetation, visibility and livestock density.
Groups ranged from one to 14. Mean size was 6.3 in Arsi, 4.4 in Munessa-Kuke and 4.1 in Muktar. They were larger in the wet season and tended to be smaller where livestock density was higher. Forage availability and open habitat were also associated with group size. The study links seasonal conditions and land use with nyala social grouping in these three Ethiopian areas.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Across the three Ethiopian study areas, mountain nyala groups were smaller where livestock density was higher and larger in the wet season. The authors describe disturbance associated with livestock as one influence on group size and identify livestock management in protected areas as a conservation concern for the species.