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Sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekei) Swahili: Nzohe

Sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekei) Swahili: Nzohe
The sitatunga is an swamp antelope with unusual elongated hooves which gives it ability to walk on marshy ground without sinking.Very similar to the bushbuck in appearance,except that the coat of the male is much darker and the hair of both sexes much longer and shaggier,the sitatunga stands something over one metre at the shoulder.The females have a lighter,redish coat and the males have twisted horns up to 90 cm long. It is a fairly shy antelope and sightings are not all that common.A good swimmer,the sitatunga will often submerge itself almost completely when alarmed.It feeds largely on papyrus and other reeds and is usually nocturnal though in places where it remains undisturbed it can be diurnal.Animals normally live singly or in pairs or in pairs but sometimes come together in small herds numbering up to 15 .

Topi (Damaliskus lunatus) Swahili: Nyamera

Topi (Damaliskus lunatus) Swahili: Nyamera
The topi is not unlike the hartebeest in appearance,but is a dark almost purplish colour and has black patches on the rear thighs,front legs and face.Its horns which are found in both sexes,also differ in shape from the hartebeest in curving gently up,out and back.Although fairly widely distributed in East Africa. A highly gregarious antelope which lives in herds numbering from 15 up to several hundred individuals,topi congregate at certain times of year in gatherings of up to 10000 in preparation for a migration to fresh pastures.They are often found mingling with wildebeest,hartebeest and zebra.In the mating season,bulls select a well-defined patch of ground which is defended against other rivals and this is where the mating takes place.At this time females are free to wander from one patch to another.After mating,the herds split into single-sex parties.Topi are exclusively grazers and prefer flood plains which support lush pasture though they are capable of thriving on dry grasses which other antelopes will not eat.When water is available they drink frequently but they are also capable of surviving long periods without water so long as there is sufficient grass available.Their main predator is the lion.

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) Swahili: kuru

Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) Swahili: Kuru
The defassa waterbuck is a fairly solid animal and is easily recognisable by its thick,shaggy,dark,brown coat,and white inner thighs.It is fairly common and easily seen in Tanzania National Parks. A second variety,the ringed waterbuck,so-called because of the white ring around its rump.Both varieties have white facial and throat markings.Only the males have horns,and these curve gradually outwards then grow straight up to a lenght of about 75 cm .As you might expect from the name,waterbuck are good swimmers and readily enter the water to escape from predators.Their habitat is always close to water,and males have marked territories by the water's edge.Females and younger males tend to wander at random through male territories.Herds are small and usually consists of cows,calves and one mature bull,the other bulls live in small groups apart from the herd.The bulk of the waterbuck's diet is grass but it does eat some of the foliage of trees and bushes.Sexual maturity is reached at just over one year,although a male will not become the dominant bull in the herd until around five years of age.Waterbuck are usually only preyed on when other food is scarce.The reason being that when mature the flesh is tough and has a distinct odour.Predators such as lion,leopard and hunting dogs go for the young calves and females.

Bongo Antelope(Tragelaphus eurycerus) Swahili:Bongo

Bongo Antelope(Tragelaphus eurycerus) Swahili:Bongo
The large,striped bongo antelope is rarely seen.They live close to water in dense forest,only leaving the forest cover to graze at night in open clearings.The bongo stands around 120 cm high at the shoulder and measures around 250 cm from head to tail.Mature males are a beautiful dark mahagony-brown colour,while the females are a much lighter reddish-brown.Both sexes have distinctive vertical white stripes on the body,never less than nine,never more than 14.Horns are sported by both males and females,and these are slightly spiralling and lyre shaped with yellow tips,with those on the male slightly shorter and sturdier than on the female.The bongo grazes mainly onleaves and will often stand on its hind legs to increase its reach.It also digs for roots with its horns.Bongo are usually found in small family herds although bulls often lead a solitary existence,meeting up with other animals only to mate.

Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) Swahili : Pongo

Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) Swahili : pongo
Although the small bushbuck antelope excists in fairly large numbers in most of Tanzania's game parks,it is a shy,solitary animal and is rarely sighted.Standing at about 80 cm at the shoulder,the bushbuck is chestnut to dark brown in colour with avariable number of white vertical stripes on the body between the neck and rump,as well as usually two horizontal white stripes lower down which give the animal a harnessed appearance.There are also a number of spots on the upper thigh and a white splash on the neck.Females are reddish brown.Horns are usually only grown by males but females have been known to grow them on rare occasions.They are lyre shaped with gentle spirals and average about 30 cm in lenght.Bushbuck are rarely found in groups of more than two and prefer to to stick to areas with heavy bush cover.When startled they take off and crash loudly through the undergrowth.They are nocturnal animals and browsers yet rarely move far from the choosen spot.Though shy and elusive they can be aggressive and dangerous when cornered.Their main predators are leopard and python.

BUSH DUIKER (Sylvicapra grimmia)

Bush Duiker ( Sylvicapra grimmia) Swahili: Nsya
Bush Duiker is the most common of the duikers,of which there are at least 10 species.Even so,they are not often sighted as they are largely nocturnal,usually only live in pairs and prefer areas with good scrub cover.The duiker stands only 60 cm at the shoulder,is a greyish light-brown colour with a white belly and a brown vertical stripe on the face.The horns(males only) are short,pointed,and grow straight.Duikers are widely distributed and can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from open bush to semi-desert and up to the snow line of the highest mountains except for bamboo forest and rainforest.This ability to survive in many different habitats explains their survival in cultivated areas where other herbivorous species have been exterminated.They are almost exclusively browsers and only rarely eat grasses though they appear to supplement their diet with insects and guinea fowl chicks.They are capable of doing without water for long periods but will drink it when available.

HARTEBEEST (Alcelaphus buselaphus)

Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) Swahili: Kongoni
The hartebeest is a medium-sized antelope and it is common in all Tanzania National Parks.It is easy to recognise as it has a long,narrow face and distinctively angular short horns on both sexes which are heavily ridged.Colouring is generally lightbrown on the back,becoming paler towards the rear and under the belly.The back slopes away from the humped shoulders.They prefer grassy plains for grazing but are also found in lightly treed savannah or hills.The hartebeest feeds exclusively on grass,and ususally drinks twice daily,although it can go for months without water if necessary.They are social beasts and often intermimgle with animals such as zebras and wildebeest.Their behavior is not unlike the wildbeest's,particularly the head tossing and shaking.Sexual maturity is reached at around 2 years and calving goes on throughout the year,although there are peak periods in February and August.Predators are mainly the large cats,hyena and hunting dogs.

Dik Dik (Madogwa kirki)

Dik Dik (Madogwa kirki) Swahili: Dik dik
Kirk's dik-dik is the more common of the two dik-diks found in Tanzania.The other is Gunther's dik-dik.Kirk's dik-dik is commonly seen in almost National Parks and Game reserves .Its name comes from the "zic-zic" call it makes when alarmed.The dik-dik is a tiny antelope,standing only around 35 cm at the shoulder.It is a redish brown colour on the back,with lighter flanks and white belly.Size is usually the easiest way to identify a dik-dik,but other telltale marks are the almost lack of a tail and the tuft of dark hair on the forehead.Horns are found on the males only and are so short that they are often lost in the hair tuft.Dik-dik are usually seen singly or in pairs and are often found in exceedingly dry places,it seems they don't have a great dependence on water.They are teritorial creatures,each pair occupying an area around five hectares.They are mainly nocturnal but can be seen grazing in acacia scrub in the early morning and late afternoon.Like so many animals they rest in the heat of the day.The females bear a single offspring twice a year.After six month the young dik-dik reaches sexual maturity and is then driven out of the home territory.

Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) Swahili: Pala hala

Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) Swahili: Pala hala
The sable antelope is slightly smaller than its cousin the roan,but is more solidly build.The coloring is dark brown to black,with white face markings and belly.Both sexes carry long backswept horns which average around 80 cm,those of the male being longer and more curved.The sable antelope is active mainly in the early morning and late afternoon,and is found in herds of up to 25 and sometimes more in the dry season.They are territorial and each group occupies a large area,although within this area individual males have demarkated territories of up to 30 hectares.Sables feed mainly of grass but leaves and foliage from trees account for around 10% of their diet.Females start bearing calves at around three years of age,and the main calving times are January and September.Like the roan,the sable is a fierce fighter and has been known to kill lions when attacked.Other predators include the leopard,hyena and hunting dog.

ROAN ANTELOPE (Hippotragus Equinus)

Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus) Swahili: Korongo
The roan antelope is one of Tanzania's less common antelope species. There are still a few small herds inSerengeti National Park.The roan is the third largest of the antelopes after eland and kudu.It measures up to 150 cm at the shoulder and bears a striking resemblance to a horse.The coat varies from reddish fawn to dark rufous with white underpants and there's a conspicious mane of stiff,black-tipped hairs which stretches from the nape to the shoulders.Under the neck,there is another mane of sorts consisting of long dark hairs.The ears are long,narrow and pointed with a brown tassel at the tip.The face is a very distinctive black and white pattern.Both sexes have curving backswept horns which can measure up to 70 cm.Roan are aggressive by nature and fight from a very early age,a characteristic which frequently deters predators.For most of the year they live in small herds of up to 20 and sometimes more,led by a master bull,but in the mating season,the bulls become solitary and take a female out of the herd.The pair stay together until the calf is born after which the females form a herd by themselves.They eventually return to their former herd.Herds congrete during the dry season.Being principally grazers,roan rarely move far when food is plentiful but they are susceptible to drought and during such periods they may be constantly on the move.

REEDBUCK (Redunca Redunca)

Reedbuck (Redunca redunca) Swahili: Tohe
The reedbuck is a medium sized antelope,standing around 80 cm high at the shoulder.The most distinctive features are the forward curving horns,found on the males only,and the bushy tail.The underbelly,inside of the thights,throat and underside of the tail are white.The reedbuck frequents open grassy plains or hills and is never found more than around 8 km from a water supply.It is very territorial and is found in small groups of up to 10 animals.The groups usually consist of an older male and accompanying females and young.Its diet consists almost exclusively of grass but does include some foliage.At mating time males fight spiritedly.After reaching sexual maturity at around one year,females bear one calf at a time.The reedbuck's main predators include the big cats,hyena and hunting dogs.

ORYX (Oryx Gazella Callotis)

Oryx (Oryx gazella callotis) Swahili: Choroa
The fringe-eared Kilimanjaro oryx is found in most Tanzania's National Parks and is a large antilope standing around 120 cm at the shoulder.The coat is a sandy fawn with a black spinal stripe which extends to the tip of the tail.The underparts are white and seperated from the lower flanks by another black stripe.There are also two black rings just above the knee of the forelegs.The related gall oryx,oryx gazella gallarum,is reddish grey.Note that the oryx species name may also be referred to as beisa.Both types of oryx have ovate,pointed ears with the main distinguishing feature being,as the name suggests,a tuft of black hair on the ears of the fringe-eared one.Oryx are easy to distinguish from other antelopes due to their straight,very long and heavily ridged horns which are carried almost parallel.Both the males and females have horns.These horns come into their own when the animal is forced to defend itself.Held down between the forelegs,they are formidable weapons and used to impale an enemy.Oryx are principally grazers but will also browse on thorny shrubs.They are capable of doing without water for long periods but will drink daily if it is available.Herds vary from five to 40 individuals and sometimes more though the bulls are usually solitary.Oryx are often found in association with zebra and Grant's gazelle.

ORIBI (Ourebia ourebi)

Oribi (Ourebia ourebi) Swahili: Taya
Not unlike a duiker in appearance,the small oribi is relatively uncommon,and your best chance of spotting one is in the Manyara and Serengeti National Parks.The oribi's most distinguishing mark,although you will need binoculars to spot it,is a circular batch of naked black skin below the ear,it is actually a scent gland.Another useful indicator is the tuft of black hair on the tip of the short tail.Otherwise the oribi is a uniform golden brown with white on the belly and insides of the legs.Short straight horns about 10 cm in lenght are found in the males only.Oribi usually graze in grassy plains with good shelter.If water is available they will drink willingly but can also go without it entirely.When alarmed they bolt and then make bouncing jumps with a curious action,all four legs are kept completely stiff.It is thought this helps them to orient themselves in places with poor visibility.After 100 metres or so they stop and assess danger.Oribi are usually found in pairs and are territorial.Sexual maturity is reached at around one year,and the females bear one calf twice a year.Being quite small,the oribi have many predators,including the larger cats.

LESSER KUDU (Tragelaphus imberbis)

Lesser Kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) Swahili: Tandala Mdogo
The lesser kudu is a smaller model of the greater kudu,the major differences being the lack of a beard,more numerous and more pronounced vertical white stripes on the body,and two white patches on the underside of the neck.As with the greater kudu,only the males have horns.The coat colour varies from brownish grey to blue grey.It stands around a metre high at the shoulder.Kudu usually live in pairs accompanied by their fawns though females occasionally form small herds.They are very shy animals and spend much of the day hiding in dense bush,only moving out of cover to feed in the early morning and at dusk.This makes them difficult to spot.Kudu are browsers and feed on a mixture of leaves,young shoots and twigs and,thouhg they drink regurlarly if water is available,they are capable of doing without for relatively long priods,more so than the greater kudu.The most likely places you will find them are Manyara and Serengeti National Parks where they prefer the more drier,more bushy areas.

KLIPSPRINGER (Oreotragus oreotragus)

Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) Swahili: Mbuzi Mawe
The distinctive klipspringer inhabit rocky outcrops in most of Tanzania National Parks.Standing about 50 cm at the shoulder,they are easily recognised by their curious tip-toe stance and the greenish tinge of their speckled coarse hair.The hooves are designed for balance and grip on rocky surfaces.Horns,found on the male only ,are 10 cm short and widely spaced.Klipspringer are most often seen on rocky outcrops,or in the grassland in the immediate vicinity,and when alarmed,they retreat into the rocks for safety.They are amazingly agile and sure-footed creatures and can often be observed bounding up impossibly rough rock faces.These antelopes can also go entirely without water if there is none around,getting all they need from the greenery they eat.They are most active just before and after midday,and single males often keep watch from a good vantage point.The klipspringer is usually found in pairs,or a male with two females,and inhabits a clearly defined territory.Klispringer reach sexual maturity at around one year,and females bear one calf twice a year.Calves may stay with the adult couple for up to a year,although young males usually seek their own territory earlier than that.Predators are mainly the leopard and the crowned eagle,but also include jackal and baboon.

Impala (Aepyceros melampus) Swahili: Swala Pala

Impala (Aepyceros melampus) Swahili: Swala Pala
The graceful Impala is one of the most common antelopes and is found in virtually all National Parks in Tanzania in large numbers.A medium-sized antelope,it stands about 80 cm at the shoulder.The coat is a glossy rufous colour though paler on the flanks with the underparts,rump,throat and chin being white.A narrow black line runs along the middle of the rump to about halfway down the tail and there is also a vertical black stripe on the back of the thighs,but unlike the Grant's Gazelle,this does not border with the white buttocks.It's also distinguishable from Grant's Gazelle by having a tuft of long black hair above the heels of the hind legs.Only the males have horns which are long averaging 75cm,lyre-shaped and curve upwards as they spread.Impala are gregarious animals,each male has a harem of up to 100 females,though more usually around 15-20.Males without a harem form bachelor groups.Fierce fighting occurs between males in rutting season,otherwise they are quite placid animals.One of the most noticeable characteristics of impala is their speed and prodigious ability at jumping.They are quite capable of clearing 10 metres in a single jump lenghtwise or three metres in height and this they frequently do even if there are no obstacles in their path.Impala are both browsers and grazers and are active during the day and during the night.They are quite highly dependent on water but are capable of existing on just dew for fairly long periods.Their man predators are leopard,cheetah and hunting dogs.

Gerenuk (Litocranius Walleri)-Swahili: Swala Twiga

Gerenuk (Litocranius Walleri) Swahili: Swala Twiga (Native language)

The Gerenuk is probably the easiest of all the Antelopes to identify because of its in ordinately long neck, which accounts for its Swahili name "Swala Twiga", meaning Giraffe-Gazelle. Growing to around 100 cm at the shoulder, the Gerenuk is a dark fawn colour on the back which becomes lighter on the sides and belly. The horns are found on the male only and curve gently backward and grow up to 40 cm long. The Gerenuk's habitat ranges from dry thorn bush country to semidesert and its food consists mainly of the tender leaves and shoots of the acacia bushes. It is quite capable, in the same way as a goat, of standing on its legs and using one of its forelegs to pull down the higher branches of bushes to get at the leaves and shoots. Also like goats, they are quite capable of doing without water.