Impala
The graceful impala is a slender, medium-sized antelope so adaptable
that it is found from southern Africa to the northern limits of East
Africa, moving in large herds.
The female is similar to the male but does not have horns
During the rutting period (Autumn) the males vocalizes loudly, making
a sound between a lion's roar and a dog's bark whilst they fight and
display, in the process of sorting out their hierarchy, terminating
in the dominant male taking over a harem of twenty or more ewes.
The remaining males form bachelor groups who test each other
for dominance
Dominant males can seldom hold their territories for more than a few
months at a time or sometimes only a few days, before succumbing to
predators or exhaustion
They have a well defined lambing season starting at the end of October
and in the following weeks, nearly every ewe is seen with a baby
Impala have an unusual tuft of black hair covering a scent gland on
the hind legs, above the hooves
To escape their pursuers they employ a confusing, zig zag escape route,
with sudden directional changes and exceptionally high leaps making
it difficult for the pursuing attacker to strike |
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