 Kudu(Tragelaphus strepsiceros)- Characteristics
- Males have large spiralled horns, weigh up to 300kg and stand 1,5m at the shoulder; females don’t have horns; both have white stripes down their grey flanks; mainly browsers favouring bushwillow and acacia species; approximately 5 000 in Kruger
- Behaviour
- Dominant male accompanied by three to five females; young males form bachelor herds; when they flee their raised tails flash a white signal for others to follow; can use huge horns as deadly defences when attacked
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; thick woodlands in hilly country, common in riverine forest areas, common in south-western foothills and woodlands in the Sabie River catchment area
 Eland (Taurotragus oryx)- Characteristics
- Largest antelope with distinct shoulder hump, males weigh up to 940kg and stand 1,8m at the shoulder; both sexes have horns; they can run at speeds of up to 40km/h and comfortably trot for longer distances at half that speed; amazing jumper capable of clearing a 2m fence; approximately 300 in Kruger
- Behaviour
- Grazer and a browser, small herd sizes in Kruger of between two and five animals; tend to graze at night when the water content of plants is higher; one of the gentlest animals and will not charge even if cornered
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Grazer and browser; savanna plains and mixed woodlands throughout Kruger; can exist easily in very arid areas
 Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger)- Characteristics
- Large antelope with distinctive white and black face and long curved horns; both sexes carry horns which are up to 1,65m long; male weighs up to 270kg and stands 1,6m high. Lifespan up to 15 years; capable of running at 57km/h; approximately 550 in the Park
- Behaviour
- Grazer of medium grasses; found in groups of two to four, but cows and calves can link up with other clans in herds of up to 30 at times; strict hierarchy with male dominant; males exhibit a variety of threat displays using horns.
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Grazer; mixed savanna woodlands, most visible around Pretoriuskop and also western mopaneveld near Phalaborwa
 Roan Antelope (Hippotragus equinus)- Characteristics
- Similar to sable antelope but has smaller body, horns similar to the Sable, and distinctive white eye and muzzle patches; adult males weigh up to 300kg and are 1,5m high; endangered species that is very rare in Kruger with small population of approximately 70 in the Park
- Behaviour
- Graze by day and night; found in herds of between two and five; seldom move out of their territory; strict male-dominant hierarchy
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Grazer; open grassland pockets within thick woodland; rare in Kruger
 Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)- Characteristics
- Robust, well-built, shaggy antelope; conspicuous white ring on the rump; only males have horns, which curve forward; weighs up to 250 kg; shoulder height 1,2 m
- Behaviour
- Found in herds of between 10 and 30 animals, strong runners that often take to water when pursued by predators, often submerging almost completely
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Usually near water throughout the Park, very common around Letaba
 Impala (Aepyceros melampus)- Characteristics
- Most numerous antelope in the Park with over 130 000 adults at any one time; grazers and browsers; only rams have horns, they weigh up to 80kg and stand just under 1 metre tall ; graceful in movement, impalas can leap over a three-metre fence and can run in bursts of up to 80km/h; favoured prey of many predators
- Behaviour
- Single rams have harems of 10 ewes on average but herds can swell to over 50 after lambing season; young males leave to form bachelor herds; alpha males often challenged during rutting season in late summer
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Grazer and browser; open savanna grassland but also common in mixed woodlands throughout the Park; uncommon in mopaneveld
 Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii)- Characteristics
- Similar to kudu except that males have white nose bands, shaggy coats tipped with white and light legs; only males have horns; males weigh up to 90kg and stand 1,2m at the shoulder; lifespan of approximately 15 years; approximately 300 in Kruger
- Behaviour
- Forest-dwelling browser, feeding during night and day; occur in mixed herds of up to 10 bulls, ewes and calves; young bulls congregate in bachelor herds; often found with impala
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; dense bush along permanent water sources; more common in the north although there is a small population along the Sabie River
 Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)- Characteristics
- Medium-sized antelope with characteristic white patch on throat and white flecks on hindquarters; only rams carry horns; adult ramsweigh up to 80kg and are 1m tall; approximately 500 in Kruger
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal solitary browsers; sometimes form nursery herds; secretive, seldom moving out of bush cover; very good swimmers
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; thorn thickets and dense bush close to permanent water, mostly in the south-western foothills and northern sandveld; tame specimens at Letaba Camp
 Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus)- Characteristics
- Fastest antelope, capable of galloping at speeds of over 90km/h; large reddish brown antelope with narrow face and shoulders higher than hindquarters; both sexes have horns; males weigh up to 160kg standing 1,3m high; lifespan up to 15 years; approximately 200 in Kruger
- Behaviour
- Daytime and nighttime grazer; found in groups of between two and four animals led by a dominant male; frequently use termite mounds as lookout points; can outrun most predators
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Grazer; open sweetveld plains of northern Kruger; particularly north of Letaba near the Giriyondo Border Post turn-off, and close to Mopani Camp.
 Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest (Sigmoceros lichtensteinii)- Characteristics
- Long, narrow face; both sexes have strongly ringed horns; tawny, yellow coat; shoulder higher than hindquarters; males weigh up to 200kg and stand 1,4m at the shoulder; lifespan 15–20 years; rump, tawny yellow coat; fast runner capable of speeds of up to 70km/h; reintroduced in Kruger during the 1980s; population numbers uncertain
- Behaviour
- Daytime grazers found in small herds; distinctive habit of rubbing face against flanks; often seen posing on termite hills; very territorial; bulls often bellow loudly during disputes with other males
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Watercourses in savanna grassland, mostly in the far north around Punda but also in the Pretoriuskop area
 Grey Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia)- Characteristics
- A small antelope, grey in colour; tufted crest on head and dark stripe down muzzle; seen singly; only the male has horns, which are straight; can weigh up to 21kg and stand approx 60cm high; lifespan up to 10 years; mainly nocturnal.
- Food
- Mainly a browser, taking leaves and fruit but sometimes also grass and said to eat the eggs of ground birds as well as putrid meat.
- Behaviour
- Solitary woodland browser, active by day and night; has very effective zigzag run to shake off predators
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; mixed woodlands throughout Kruger
 Steenbok (Raphicerus campestris)- Characteristics
- Smaller than a duiker with y-shaped marking on its nose; reddish in colour with white underparts; the male has short, straight horns; male and female same size weighing up to 15kg and standing 55cm at the shoulder; lifespan up to 10 years; solitary.
- Food
- Exclusively a browser.
- Behaviour
- Solitary woodland browser, occasionally grazes; sometimes found in monogamous pairs
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; open woodlands in hilly country, particularly visible in sandveld around Punda and Pafuri
 Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus)- Characteristics
- A small antelope; found singly or in pairs; brown in colour and blending in well with the rocky areas where they live; only the male has small, straight horns.
- Food
- Browsers.
- Behaviour
- Grazers usually found in pairs; mostly active in early morning and late afternoon; often freeze in the face of danger before bounding off; no predator can catch them once they get into rocky terrain
- Where best to see them in Kruger
- Browser; very habitat-specific to rocky outcrops and bouldered landscapes, particularly in Lebombo and south-western foothills
Illustration: Chip Snaddon
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The Tsessebe is reportedly the fastest antelope in Kruger. This awkward-looking antelope is believed to be able to run at speeds of over 100km/h. Tsessebe also have great stamina and can gallop – at a gentler pace – for many kilometres.
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 Kruger Park Antelope
Antelopes all have hollow horns and are classified as bovids. Two-thirds of the world’s 120 bovid species are antelope – among the remaining third are cattle, sheep and goats. Modern antelope have evolved over the past 24 million years and owe their continued survival to being savanna specialists, each occupying a slightly different yet overlapping ecological niche in grassland and mixed woodland environments. There are 72 antelope species in Africa, of which 21 are found in Kruger.
These are:
- Eland
- Impala
- Kudu
- Waterbuck
- Bushbuck
- Nyala
- Common Reedbuck
- Mountain Reedbuck
- Klipspringer
- Grey Rhebuck
- Suni
- Oribi
- Steenbok
- Sharpe’s Grysbok
- Common Duiker
- Red Duiker
- Tsessebe
- Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest
- Blue Wildebeest
- Roan Antelope
- Sable Antelope
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