The Kruger is one of the last wildlife havens for endangered animals to seek refuge and be protected from extinction. In our latest blog series, we will be featuring some of the Kruger’s endangered wildlife, starting with the Sable Antelope.
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Of all the animals in the Kruger that guests come to see, few realise that it is the endangered wildlife that should be the most sought after.
The Sable Antelope (Hippotragus Niger) is an endangered species and a rare find in the Kruger National Park. Once they were found all over the country, but sadly today they are only found in the Kruger National Park and other protected areas in South Africa where they have been reintroduced, or introduced where they were never previously found.
Appearance
The Sable Antelope is a large and truly handsome animal that stands 1.4 meters at the shoulder, is two meters in length and can weigh up to 270kg. The male Sable has a coat that is mainly a glossy black with white under parts as well as white facial markings. Females and young are more of a dark brown.
Both male and female sable antelope have stiff black manes along the dorsal aspect of their necks and both have long ridged horns that curve backwards. Their horns grow slowly and their age can be counted by the amount of ridges on their horns. The tips of the horns are smooth and sharp pointed.
A mature Sable bull can have horns up to 1.2 meters in length, roughly the same length as an elephants tusk. The females have slimmer and slightly shorter horns. The horns on the calves start to show at the age of two months.
The ears of Sable are shorter than that of the Roan Antelope and are brick red at the back. This is one way to differentiate the two species.
Despite their size, the Sable Antelope is capable of running at a speed of 57 km an hour and can maintain that speed for about three kilometres, allowing it to outrun several predators.
Eating Habits
Sable Antelope are picky eaters and they eat a mixture of leaves, bush and grass. This makes them browsers and grazers. These antelope are known as an Edge Species because they broaden their diet by living on the fringes between habitats. Typically a Sable Antelope needs to stay within a one day walk of water.
Breeding
Cows are sexually mature at the age of three years and generally have their first calf at this age. The gestation period for a Sable is 270 days and they then give birth to one calf that weighs about 17 kg. During the first two weeks the calves are hidden in the long grass and the mother will periodically visit them for suckling and grooming. Although the calves show interest in grass from a fairly young age, they are only fully weaned at eight months. At the age of three most young bulls will be evicted from the breeding groups by territorial bulls.
The Sable Antelope is a gregarious antelope and show a variation in herd sizes. Pregnant cows will separate themselves from the larger groups that consist of young or non-breeders and form a smaller group.
Best time to see them
During the early morning and late afternoon the Sable Antelope is most active. Midday will find the Sable at a water source.
During the late winter months, Sable Antelope congregate in large herds close to moist areas.
