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.