African Antelopes You Can Spot in Uganda
African Antelopes You Can Spot in Uganda
A lot of antelope types live in Africa. Some of the main ones are Wildebeest, Roan, Waterbuck, Eland, Gerenuk, Steenbok, Nyala, Klipspringer, Kudu, Lechwe, Springbok, Sable Antelope, Tsessebe, Impala or Uganda Kob, and Oryx. Antelopes look like deer and live in Africa, Asia, and some parts of the Americas. They’re part of a group of hoofed animals called even-toed ungulates. There are many types of antelopes, including the tiny Royal antelope that’s about as tall as a rabbit!
African Antelopes play a big role in the African food chain. Even though they mainly eat grass, they’re a crucial food source for lots of Africa’s big meat-eating animals like lions, hyenas, and crocodiles.
These antelopes usually live in savannah areas. They’re most often found in the grassy plains of East and Southern Africa. They like places with trees, bushes, and semi-dry areas, so they avoid swamps, forests, and pure deserts.
They hang out in many national parks in countries like Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and others in the region. But in Uganda, they’re all over! You can find them in pretty much every park.
Uganda’s got a big population of African Antelopes spread out across all its 10 national parks. A bunch of them chill in places like Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls, Semliki National Park, and other game reserves.
Antelopes of Uganda
Ugandan Kob
The Ugandan kob is a kind of antelope found in places like South Sudan, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia. It’s reddish-brown and is different from other kob types. You might see it on the coat of arms of Uganda. Ugandan kobs usually live in groups of about 40, either all female, all male, or young ones. They’re a bit like impalas but more sturdy. Males are taller and heavier than females, with a golden to reddish-brown coat, a white patch around the neck, belly, inner ears, and around the eyes. The front parts of their legs are black. They live like other antelopes.
Jackson’s Hartebeest
This hartebeest is light brown and big, with males weighing up to 218 kilograms. They have a flat face, curved horns, and an up-sloping body. In Uganda, you’ll only find them in Kidepo Valley National Park in the north. Male hartebeests make territories and don’t leave them much unless they’re not interested anymore.
Sitatunga
These antelopes are rare and like swampy areas with thick vegetation. They’re semi-aquatic, with splayed hooves for swamps. You might find them in places like the Bigodi Swamp near Kibale National Park and the Mabamba Wetland in Entebbe. They’re active in the morning, evening, and night, with a shaggy, water-resistant coat. Only males grow spiral horns. They live in small groups, usually just a male, a few females, and maybe some young ones.
Elands
Elands come in two types: giant and common. They’re the largest antelopes, measuring up to 180 centimeters tall and as heavy as domestic cows. They feed in the morning and evening, sometimes at night during hot days. They can survive without drinking water, getting what they need from food. They have a light tan color with a black flap of skin between the throat and chest. Males have thick, spiraled horns.
Greater Kudu
These woodland antelopes are the second largest after elands. They have elegant spiral horns and 4-12 vertical white side stripes. They have long legs and narrow bodies, with coats ranging from brown-grey to reddish-brown. Males are usually bigger, with horns that start growing when they’re 6 to 12 months old.
Waterbuck
Waterbucks prefer staying near water, as they can only go a day or two without drinking. They graze on medium or short grasses, sometimes herbs and foliage. There are about 37 subspecies, categorized into two groups: Ellipsen and Defassa waterbucks. They have shaggy coats that become darker with age, with white muzzle areas and light eyebrows. They have long necks and strong black legs.
Grant’s Gazelles
These are common in Uganda, living in large herds. They have long, sharp, spiral horns and a shiny brown coat with white lower areas around the belly and inner thighs. They live in groups for protection and nurse their young multiple times a day. They wean at 6 months but still keep close to their mothers.
Other Antelopes Other types found in Uganda include impalas, common reedbucks, bushbucks, duikers, oribis, and many more.
African Antelope Not Found in Uganda
Nyala Nyala live in dense bushes around riverine regions. Males are dark and shaggy with horns, while females are lighter and lack horns. They’re mainly active in the morning and late afternoon, browsing during the day if it’s not too hot. They’re cautious and live in family groups.
Sable Sable antelopes are among the largest in Africa, with long, sharp horns and a black and white coat. They’re bold and can be seen clashing heads in a fight for dominance.