Antelope is one of the key features of Zambia’s wildlife. There are many indigenous and foreign antelope species to see in the country, over 25 species.
Species range from the diminutive, 6kg Blue Duiker to the 900kg Common Eland:
(Cephalophus monticola) “duiker” come from Afrikaans mean “diver”.
It dives for cover when disturbed.
Found in Kafue National Park and northern parts of Zambia
Grey to brown coat, 35cm(33in) shoulder height and up to 6kg (13lb).
They are the smallest antelopes.
Live alone or in pairs, during courtship.
(gnu, Connochaetes taurinus) Run up to 80kph (50mph).
The fifth-fastest land animal in Africa; slower than the Cheetah and Lion.
Found in Western and Southern provinces, and South Luangwa national park
Cookson’s Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus cooksoni) are endemic to South Luangwa national park.
A grey-brown large antelope; shoulder height at 1.5m (4.9ft) and up to 250kg (551lb). Live in large herds of up to 150 animals.
Usually found with Zebra.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
(Tragelaphus scriptus) Smallest spiral-horned antelope.
Found in all parts of the country
Chestnut to dark brown coat, dark in places, with white stripes and white splotches on the sides. Can grow to 80cm (31.5in) and 45kg (99lb). Live alone or in small groups.
It is an extraordinarily strong swimmer.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National park | Common |
(Sylvicapra grimmia) Both male and females are territorial.
Found in all parts of the country
Has a grey-brown to reddish-yellow, with paler underparts. It can grow to a shoulder height of 60cm(23.6in) and 25kg(55lb).
Live alone or in pairs, during courtship.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National Park | Infrequent |
(Tragelaphus oryx) Second largest antelope, the after Giant eland.
Found in all parts of the country
It has fawn or tawny coat, and with both male and female have long black spiral horns. It can weigh 900kg (1,984lb), with a 1.7m (5.6ft) shoulder height. Despite it’s size it can easily clear a two-metre hedge. It is easily domesticated and normally found in herds of up to 60 animals.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Common eland | Common |
| South Luangwa National park | Occasional |
(Tragelaphus strepsiceros) Highly alert and hard to approach.
Everywhere, except the northern parts of the country
The coat is grey-brown with white vertical stripes. It can grow to 1.55m (5.1ft) at the shoulder and 250kg (551lb). males have large spiralling horns, with a record length of 187.64, if straightened.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National park | Common |
(Aepyceros melampus) ‘Impala’ means ‘gazelle’ in Zulu.
All areas except the northwestern end of Zambia
Has a reddish-fawn coat, can grow to a should height of 90cm (35.4in) and 80kg (176.4lb). The live large herds of up to 100 animals or bachelor groups of up to 60. Most young are born at midday when predators are resting.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National Park | Common |
(Oreotragus oreotragus) It can hop onto a spot the size of an Oreo cookie.
Mostly seen in Luangwa valley
It has a yellow-brown to grey-brown coat, up to 10kg (22lb) and 60cm (23.6in), at the shoulder. It has cylindrical hooves adapted to climbing rocks. Usually seen in pairs or small groups.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| South Luangwa National park | Rare |
(Kobus leche) The most aquatic marsh antelopes.
Black Lechwe: huge herds in the Bangweulu swamps
Red & Kafue Lechwe: small herds on the Kafue Flats and Busanga Plain
Can grow to 1m (3.3ft) at the shoulder and 120kg (264.6lb). an antelope of swamps and floodplains often found wading and grazing floating vegetation.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common (Black Lechwe) |
(Alcelaphus lichtensteinii) A selective grazer, preferring the new grass shoots.
Common in Kafue National park. Also found in Luangwa valley
Yellow-fawn body, 1.3m (4.3ft) at the shoulder and up to 200kg (440.9lb). Found in small herds of 10 or fewer animals, in miombo woodland.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National Park | Infrequent |
(Tragelaphus angasii) It is the most sexually dimorphic antelope in the world.
Foreign species brought to Lusaka National Park
Slate-grey to chestnut coats, with vertical white lines. The ram has a head-to-tail mane. Can grow to 1.15m (3.8ft) at the shoulder and 125kg (275.6lb). It has nomadic group structures with herds that can reach up to 30 animals. Rams are not territorial and usually solitary. It has a special bond with baboons and vervet monkeys.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
(Ourebia ourebi) The females are slightly larger than males.
Found in most parts of Zambia
Yellow-orange upperpart and white underparts. Can grow to 60cm (23.6in) at the shoulder and 20kg (44lb). They live a solitary life.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| South Luangwa National park | Rare |
(Kobus vardonii) The female puku do not defend their young and run the other direction when threatened by predators.
Common on wet grasslands of northern/north-western Zambia
Golden-yellow fuzzy coat, with pale underparts. Can be up to 80kg (176.4lb) and 80cm (31.5in), at the shoulder. Live in groups of up to 30 animals.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| South Luangwa National Park | Rare |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
(Cephalophus natalensis) Similar to the Common duiker but smaller.
Found in the extreme northeastern part of the country
Reddish-brown coat, with paler underparts. It can grow to 43cm (16.9in) at the shoulder and weigh 14kg (30.9lb). It is usually solitary, in pairs, or small family groups.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Kafue National Park | Common |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
(Redunca arundinum) It emits a loud alarm whistle when disturbed.
Can be found in most parts of the country.
Brown or greyish-fawn coat with white underparts. It can grow to 95cm (37.4in) at the shoulder and weigh 68kg (149.9lb). It is both nocturnal and diurnal. They are usually in herds of up to 30 animals.
(Hippotragus equinus) They confront predators and many predators die in these fights. It uses an unusual whistle to vocalise.
Found everywhere
With a greyish-reddish-brown coat with white and black facial lines. It can grow to 1.5m (4.8ft) at the shoulder and weigh 300kg (661.4lb). It is similar to the sable antelope but with a lighter. live in groups of up to 20 animals.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Kafue National park | Common |
| South Luangwa National park | Infrequent |
(Hippotragus niger) Like Roan, they confront predators and many predators die in these fights.
Found in all parts of the country except the western tip.
Deep brown or black coat, with contrasting white face, belly and inner thighs, and long backwards-arching horns. They can grow to a 1.5m (4.95ft) shoulder height and a weight of 270kg (595.2lb). Sable antelope are very alike roan antelope. They live in matriarchal herds of up to 20 animals, with one adult male.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Kafue National Park | Common |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National Park | Rare |
(Raphicerus sharpei) They use a “communal latrine”.
Found in most parts of the country
A small shy and solitary antelope, similar to a duiker. It can grow up 50cm (1.6ft) and weigh 9kg (19.8lb). It is usually solitary. It has a reddish-brown coat, with white freckling.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| South Luangwa National park | Occasional |
(Tragelaphus spekii) Unlike other antelope, their horns don’t get caught in stuff because of the strange shape.
Found in Kasanka and Kafue National parks, and Bangweulu
Dark brown forequarters and lighter hindquarters, with some white spots and stripes. They live in swampy areas and are very good swimmers; they use this to escape predators. Their hind legs are longer than the front, to help them balance in the swampy area. They can weigh up to 115kg (253.5lb) and 125cm(4.1ft).
| PARK/ RESERVE | OCCURRENCE |
| Kasanka National park | Common |
| Kafue National park | Rare |
(Redunca arundinum) The horns have a “V” shape when viewed from the front.
Found throughout much of the country
Can grow to a shoulder height of 105cm (41.3in) and weigh 95kg (209.4lb). It is fawn or brown in colour with white underparts. They usually live in pairs or small loose family groups.
(steinbok, Raphicerus campestris) It has very large, broad ears and exceptional hearing.
Found in the south-west part of the country
Golden-brown or reddish-coloured coat with white underparts and similar to the oribi. Can grow to a shoulder height of 50cm (19.7in) and weigh 13kg (28.7lb). Live singly or in pairs. It defecates and urinates in the holes it digs with its front hooves and covers. They are mainly located on the territory perimeter that it defends intensely.
| PARK/ RESERVE | SIGHTINGS |
| Kafue National park | Occasional |
(Damaliscus lunatus) It can reach 90 km/hr (43 mph); the fastest antelope. Faster than lions but not cheetahs.
Found in the Zambezi and Bangweulu flood plains
Prominent reddish-brown to purplish-red coat with black blotches on the face. Can grow to a shoulder height of 126cm (49.6in) and weigh 155kg (340lb). They are similar to the larger hartebeest. They live in herds of up to 20 animals. It is highly social even if other antelope species.
(Kobus ellipsiprymnus) The white ring on the rump helps them follow each other, especially when fleeing predators in dense bush.
Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus; Southern parts of the country
Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa; Northern parts of the country
Brown to grey, long-haired with a white ring on the rump for ellipsiprymnus and broad white patch for defassa. Can grow to a shoulder height of 130cm (51.2in) and weigh 270kg (598lb). It lives in herds of up to 30 animals in woodlands and savanna, near water.
| PARK/ RESERVE | OCCURRENCE |
| Kafue National park | Common (defassa) |
| Lusaka National Park | Common |
| South Luangwa National park | Infrequent (ellipsiprymnus) |
| Sumbu National park | Common (defassa) |
(Cephalophus silvicultor) Largest duiker and most widely distributed.
Found in Kafue and the northern parts of the country
Dark blackish-brown with a yellow rump. Can grow to a shoulder height of 85cm (33.5in) and weigh 80kg (176.4lb). Mostly solitary and either diurnal or nocturnal.