By Siri Vlasic (Westminster College)
The Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is one of the largest and most striking antelopes in the Okavango Delta. They can live to be up to 7-8 years old and are found in a wide range of habitats ranging from thick, mopane forests to open grasslands. As a result, they also browse on a variety of shrubs and trees. I have most commonly seen them feeding on Kalahari Apple-leaf trees, Bluebush shrubs, and Camelthorn Acacia trees.
They are a greyish-brown color with white stripes on their body and white facial spots. Males are larger then females and have large, spiral horns in addition to thick, long fur on their necks and chins. The horns can have up to 3 twists. These twist indicate the age of a male – the more twists, the older the kudu. Usually three twists suggest a kudu is roughly 7 years old. Both male and female kudus also have very large ears. These large ears are beneficial for the kudu in a couple different ways. Not only do they enhance their hearing and allow them to be more aware of their surroundings and potential predators, but they also help them them cool off in the hot, arid environments of southern Africa. These ears are extremely important for such timid animals like kudus.
In the past three months, we have mostly seen female kudus in small groups, while males are either alone or also in small groups. In the past few weeks, I have started to notice that there were sometimes lone males in a groups of females. This is happening more frequently as we begin to enter the mating season and males are scoping out females to reproduce with.
Kudu’s are also often seen in close proximity to impala (another type of antelope). Even though impala are much smaller in size, they share a similar habitat preference. In addition, the two species can benefit each other because increased numbers leads to increased protection from predators. These two species also share similar behaviors and characteristics. One time I saw a large herd of impala pronking with a few female kudus joining in. Pronking is when they bound into the air, lifting all four feet off the ground simultaneously. According to our instructors, this is generally done during the wet season because animals are playful and have plenty of energy because of the water and food availability. This shows how comfortable the two species are together and that they both relish the nutrients and water the wet season brings.