Page 103 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

FIELD GUIDE  101

Roan Antelope
Species: Hippotragus equinus • Best Seen: Kruger (Letaba
area), Pilanesberg
LC
Similar in proportions to the sable antelope,
the roan has short, decurved horns and a
fawn-grey coat with a pale belly and light mane.
Its South African distribution is compar able to
that of the sable, but it is probably less common,
with the Pilanesberg National Park offering
perhaps the best opportunity of a sighting in the
wild. Captive populations of roan are also held on
some private ranches in the north of the country.
Roan form groups of five to fifteen animals, with a
dominant male. Fighting among males for control
of the herd is not uncommon. The closely related
blue buck is a fynbos endemic that was hunted to
extinction in the 19th century and now survives
only in the form of a few mounted specimens
A lone sable antelope in woodland found in museums.
Sable Antelope
Species: Hippotragus niger • Best Seen: Pilanesberg, Sabi
Sands, Kruger (Around Pretoriuskop and Letaba)
LC
Among the largest and most handsome of
antelopes, the male sable stands up to 1.4 m
(4 ft 7 inches) at the shoulder and weighs up
to 270 kg (595 lb). It has a jet-black coat offset
by a white face, underbelly and rump, and its
splendid decurved horns reach up to 1.4 m
(4 ft 7 inches) in length. The female is less striking,
with a chestnut-brown coat and shorter horns.
Common elsewhere on the African continent, the
sable is confined to the far northeast of South
Africa, where it is very localized. Sight ings are
uncommon in the Kruger National Park, but
quite frequent in Pilanesberg. The roan antelope, less common than the sable

Common Waterbuck
Species: Kobus ellipsiprymnus • Best Seen: Kruger,
iSimangaliso, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
VU
The largest and most distinctive member of
the kob family, the common waterbuck stands
up to 1.3 m (4 ft 3 inches) at the shoulder, and
weighs up to 240 kg (529 lb). It is recognized by
its shaggy grey-brown to chestnut coat (which
darkens with age), the male’s large, lyre-shaped
horns, and the bold white inverted U-mark on its
rump. Waterbuck are usually found in open
grassland or woodland – almost always, as the
name suggests, in the vicinity of standing water,
although they spend relatively little time actually
in the water. Herds comprise up to 10 individuals
lorded over by a dominant male, who will defend
his territory and mating rights with vigorous
aggression. In his prime, a male will control a
A pair of common waterbucks territory of around 120 hectares (297 acres).
Key to Field Guide icons see p72

100-101_EW_South_Africa.indd 101 25/05/17 2:53 pm