The Mountain Nyala

From Abyssinian Cloud Forests

to Rowland Ward’s Studio

The Mountain Nyala: Seen through the eyes of a modern collector

The Mountain Nyala

A rare example of this species, the Mountain Nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni

The Mountain Nyala: In September 1910, high on the mist‑soaked slopes of Ethiopia’s Arussi Plateau, a young British sportsman named Ivor Buxton shot an antelope that would rewrite zoological history. The locals called it the Gadab. Western science had never seen it.

Within weeks, the skin and skull were on their way to London. And within months, they were in the hands of the most influential taxidermist-naturalist of the era: Rowland Ward.

Today, more than a century later, we see such a rare example of this species, the Mountain Nyala, Tragelaphus buxtoni, not in a museum, but in the collection of a modern British collector: Jon Saggerson

A Species Revealed: Lydekker’s 1911 Description

When Buxton’s original Nyala specimen reached London, Rowland Ward immediately recognised that something was different. The horns were heavier than a Nyala’s, but not as long as a Kudu’s. The coat was speckled, not striped. The mane was short. The tail was bushy and white beneath. It was familiar, yet not.

Ward sent the specimen to Richard Lydekker, the British Museum’s formidable taxonomist. Lydekker’s 1911 paper (show images of pages) is a masterclass in early 20th‑century zoological analysis. He compares the animal to every known Tragelaphus species, measuring horn curvature, basal girth, coat texture, and facial markings.

His conclusion was decisive:

“It differed from all of them in several important respects… I therefore propose to name it Tragelaphus buxtoni, after Mr. Ivor Buxton.”

With that, the Mountain Nyala entered the scientific record.

Rowland Ward: The quiet architect of discovery

Rowland Ward’s role in this early story is often understated, but it is pivotal. He recognised this Mountain Nyala species as new before any zoologist did – Ward’s eye was legendary. Hunters and explorers trusted him to identify anomalies. His immediate suspicion that Buxton’s antelope was unknown speaks volumes.

The mount and skull he created in the early 1900’s became the physical standard against which all future Mountain Nyala specimens were compared. Ward shaped the species’ visual identity. Scientific plates, museum displays, and early wildlife books often relied on Ward’s mounts. His interpretation became the species’ first “public face.”

Ward wasn’t just a taxidermist. He was a curator of natural history, and the Mountain Nyala was one of his most significant contributions.

The Mountain Nyala’s Rarity Then and Now

Even in 1910, the species was described as elusive. The Oromo hunters told Buxton it was seldom seen. Lydekker noted its restricted range and forest‑dwelling habits.

Today, the Mountain Nyala is endangered, with perhaps 2,500–4,000 individuals remaining. It is one of Africa’s rarest large antelopes.

This makes early mounts, especially those connected to Ward and the Buxton expedition, extraordinarily significant.

Enter the modern collector – Jon Saggerson

This is where the story takes an unexpected and rather poetic turn.

Today the Mountain Nyala, especially a full mount, is seen in just one private collection in the UK. It is unique to the collection of Jon Saggerson, who has a deep appreciation for natural history, taxidermy heritage, and the narrative power of early zoological specimens.

He is fortunate enough to have become an apprentice, colleague and collaborator with one of the UK’s most respected naturalists, Colin Dunton. It was Colin who mounted the modern Nyala for Jon, and it is to him we pay homage for preparing, presenting and preserving such an important scientific specimen.

Jon Saggerson with his colleagues from Rowland Ward

A trio of modern naturalists

L TO R: Jay Villemarette: Skulls Unlimited.
Ludo Wurfbain: Rowland Ward Company.
Jon Saggerson: Saggerson Natural History.
Photographed together at the Natural History Museum in Tring, United Kingdom

Largest Mountain Nyala Ever Collected

Jon also has the skull and horns of one of the largest Mountain Nyala ever collected. This beast was captured in the 1960’s by an Italian hunter and it’s one of the biggest ever caught.

Custodianship matters

Jon is championing a museum‑grade artefact. A full Mountain Nyala specimen does not serve as a trophy. It is a historical document, a physical witness to the species’ discovery.

Saggerson’s collecting philosophy is rooted in context. He knows the significance of Ward’s craftsmanship, Lydekker’s taxonomy, and the Buxton expedition, and the relevance of the modern talent of Colin Dunton. He doesn’t just own a mount of a Mountain Nyala; he curates its story.

Jon manages to bridge the past and the present. In an age of conservation awareness, owning such a specimen is ethically complex. Saggerson and Dunton approach this with respect, treating the mount as a witness to a bygone era rather than a symbol of conquest.

Many early mounts disappeared into private estates or were lost during the 20th century. Saggerson’s stewardship of the modern mount gives this issue visibility, and ensures that this one remains documented, studied, and appreciated.

Standing before the mount today

To stand in front of Saggerson’s huge Mountain Nyala is to stand in front of the species’ earliest scientific identity; it’s a window through which we can appreciate the early Rowland Ward masterpiece that came from Edwardian exploration. Above all, it’s a reminder of how fragile the gift of wildlife can be. The Mountain Nyala’s original journey from the cloud forests of Ethiopia to a London taxidermy studio, to the pages of the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, and finally through modern conservation into the hands of a modern collector is a microcosm of how humans engage with the natural world.

And thanks to collectors like Jon Saggerson and new naturalists like Colin Dunton the artefacts of the early story survive, not as trophies, but as historical touchstones.

A Final Reflection

The Mountain Nyala is one of the last great antelope discoveries of the colonial era. Its scientific life began with a single shot in 1910. Its cultural life was shaped by Rowland Ward’s hands. Its identity was codified by Lydekker’s pen, and its survival as a scientific study into the next century was assured by the likes of Jon and Colin.

FOOTNOTE: Inspired by Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1911. All material in the public domain.