African Antelope: Reedbuck

Reedbucks have a distinctive grey or brown pelage with white underpants and a bushy tail with a white tip. They are moderately sized weighing in at 70kg and with a shoulder height of 950mm, with the Ewes being slightly smaller at 800mm at the shoulders and weighing in at 51kg. The rams have impressive horns that grow up to 450mm in length, but both the rams and the ewes have inguinal glands in the groin area that secretes a waxy-like substance which is used to mark territories. Reedbuck are first and foremost grazers on grass, but when grass is not available they will eat various herbs instead. Being nocturnal they usually feed at night and sleep during the day, but if conditions are harsh in for example, a drought, they will feed during the day instead. Reedbucks breed at any time during a year, however births tend to peak in the summer months. The gestation period is around 225 days, and newly born lambs live in hiding up to 3 months. Indeed, this explains why their natural habitat is wet grasslands which offers plenty of foliage. However, unfortunately their habitat is shrinking increasingly every year which has impacted the number of Reedbuck significantly. Presently this antelope is found almost exclusive in the Kruger National Park, but populations are also found in the Hluhluwe game reserve and a handful of other game reserves in KwaZuku-Natal.