The roan antelope and the sable antelope are very similar in looks and one is often mistaken for the other. While enjoying a Kruger Park safari with Vula Safaris, we’ll teach you how to spot the difference.
Roan Antelope
If you see a roan antelope in the Kruger National Park, consider yourself very lucky. This antelope is a rare sighting as it is an endangered species. In 1986 there were about 400 in the Kruger National Park but after a devastating drought in 1992/93, their numbers fell to about 44. The roan antelope prefer a wetter savannah and that is sadly not what the Kruger National Park offers.
Roan antelope have a very distinctive black and white face, the rest of their bodies are a fawn colour and they have dark brown to black legs. Both male and female have horns that are ringed and arch backwards as well as long pointed ears. Male roan antelope can weigh up to 270 kg and be 1.4 meters at the shoulder while the females are slightly smaller. Their tails are long and tufted.
The roan antelope does not have a fixed breeding season. After a gestation period of about 40 weeks, the roan antelope gives birth to a single calf. The calf stays hidden in the bush for about the first month of its life after which it joins a “crèche” within the herd. Roan antelope calves have a high mortality rate with up to 80 per cent of the calves dying within the first seven weeks.
Sable Antelope
Sable antelope are dark brown to black on their backs and have white bellies. They have distinctive white markings on their faces. Both male and female sable antelope have long horns that point backwards. Mature males can have horns as long as 1.6 meters making them very sought after by trophy hunters. Their horns grow throughout their lives, starting straight and then curving backwards. Every year its horns get another ‘ring’ on it. If you count the rings on the horns you can determine how old they are. The sable antelope ears are brick red and shorter than those of the roan antelope. Sable antelope, both male and female have stunning black manes.
Calves are born after a gestation period of 270 days and weigh about 15 kg. Their calves stay hidden in the grass for about 2 weeks. Calves are weaned at about eight months even though they start eating grass at an early age.
Sable antelope can be found in grassy areas that are moist and prefer to be close to the water as they drink about midday. Most of their grazing gets done in the early morning or late afternoon. They eat mostly a variety of grasses but also chew on the bones of carcasses for its phosphorous properties.
