Karabeest

The Karabeest is a large goat-like animal that are native to the swamps.

Average height (shoulders)- 5 foot

Average weight- 640lb- 1400lb They sport a dense, thick coat that is quite naturally long. Karas range quite widely in colors, although a few points will stay the same, lighter around the eyes and darker at the nose.

Generally the coat will insulate heat as the animals wade in water, and this can make them cold from any sort of wind. This also means that they can regulate their body temperatures well in colder areas as well. They do less well in desert environments but thrive kept shaved. This fur has a few interesting qualities:


 * The fur appears coarse and wiry but can be woven into silky soft textile products. The size of these animals means that a large amount of product can be made from one animal.
 * The skin and fur of the Karabeest is somehow the perfect environment for short rooted crops to thrive. Mosses, ferns, mushrooms, and many other fauna can be seen on these animals.

Diets of these animals consist of mostly algae, water plants, and generally any other greenery. They will wade in the swamps and skim the water, grazing all day. Because of this, the fur on wild Karas is generally stained.

In captivity, the Karas are a loyal and trusty pack animal that will follow you through any terrain. Not only are they good for carrying your things, the Karabeest can be milked, produce high quality wools, grow short rooted crops, and be harvested for meats.

There is a large amount of cultures that will show these animals as well, whether that is shaved and groomed  or the most fertile for plants.

Due to the strange eating behaviors, if the Kara does not have access to a rich body of water to graze, they will need to be fed from a water trough with floating feed. Not only does this provide enrichment, it also hydrates the beest. A kara will always choose water skimming over normal field grazing, unless brought in stalls and fed from normal feeders, although they can still be seen taking a bite, and dunking it in water.

The captive Karabeest is usually fed high quality hays, grasses, and floating grains, and any algae the owners can get their hands on. Grain must be able to float, as karas dont normally dunk underwater for food. It is also not uncommon to see Karas being fed a mixture of soaked pulps and grains, as it slightly mimics the skimming, making sure that the animal gets all of the nutrients needed.

A good rule of thumb for how much a Karabeest can carry depends on how you are traveling, on flat areas where you wont be doing much running, up to 50% of their body weight is okay to be carried, whilst more rocky or unknown terrain, about 30% should be the max. This makes sure that if anything were to happen, the Kara could still be nimble and run if need be.