African Antelope: Waterbuck

The Waterbuck is a very large and powerful antelope, with a shoulder height of 1.4 metres and can weigh up to an impressive 260kg. The cows are smaller than the bulls, but both share the similar distinctive brownish-grey coat, while the eyes and nose are patched with white along with a white collar on the throat, and the bulls have long forward curved horns. Their habitat reflects their diet, where they are only found in well watered areas with dense woody vegetation and medium to tall grasses: The Waterbuck are very dependent on water, drinking daily and almost exclusively eating grass. The breeding activities tend to spike in the winter months, but it can occur to a lesser extent year-round. They have a 9-month gestation period where they usually give birth to single calves, but occasionally they will give birth to twins. The newly born calves will hide in long grass and woodland bush until they join the herds following their mother. The behaviour amongst bulls are territorial and they defend their territory with aggressive posturing or sometimes escalate this into fights. The cows, calves and bachelors will form herds. They are strong swimmers and if they feel extremely threatened will sometimes take refuge in deep water in rivers or lakes. They have numerous natural predators such as Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, Crocodiles Hunting Dogs and Cheetahs. They are found in the major drainage systems of Mpumalanga, as well as being reintroduced at St. Lucia and Itala game reserves.