Czech scientists help protect the world’s largest antelope
On 22 October 2025, a ceremony at the National Assembly of Senegal in Dakar marked 25 years of cooperation between Senegal and the Czech Republic in nature conservation and biodiversity protection. The event, organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Dakar, celebrated long-term achievements in protecting the Western Derby eland (Tragelaphus derbianus derbianus) – the world’s largest antelope and a symbol of the Senegalese savannah.
The Czech scientific community was represented by Prof. Pavla Hejcmanová and Assoc. Prof. Karolína Brandlová from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (FTZ CZU) and the non-profit organization Antelope Conservation. In their presentations, they highlighted the outcomes of long-term research and fieldwork, as well as Czech-Senegalese cooperation that has contributed to the protection of this endangered species and the sustainable management of the savannah ecosystem.
The programme also included a roundtable on biodiversity protection and sustainable development and the opening of the exhibition “25 Years of Antelope Conservation.” The President of the Senegalese Parliamentary Network for the Environment (REPES), Mr. Samba Dang, emphasized the importance of green diplomacy and praised the Czech Republic for its continued partnership in promoting conservation, ecotourism, and environmental policy development in Senegal.
Read more and see the media coverage (in French):
