A shy, spiral-horned antelope of southeast Africa, and the most sexually dimorphic antelope: males are slate grey with a shaggy fringe and horns, while females are small, hornless and rusty brown with white stripes. It keeps to thickets near water.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Hunted as game; big-horned males are prized by sport hunters.
At a glance
Found inAfrica
HabitatForest, Scrub
ColoursBrown, Grey, White
SizeLarge
Length135–195 cm (head and body)
HeightMales up to 110 cm; females up to 90 cm at the shoulder
WeightMales 98–125 kg; females 55–68 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives inherds
Lives forUp to 19 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Southeast Africa, from southern Malawi through Mozambique and Zimbabwe to eastern South Africa and Eswatini.
- What it eats
- Leaves, fruit, flowers and twigs, and fresh grass in the rainy season. It needs regular water.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The most sexually dimorphic antelope: grey, shaggy, horned males look nothing like the striped brown females.
Uses a sharp, dog-like bark to warn others of danger, and reacts to the alarm calls of impala, baboons and kudu.
Hairy glands on its feet leave its scent wherever it walks.
Often confused with
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