African wildlife - Waterbuck

Hearing the word “antelope” we spontaneously think of fast and slender ungulates inhabiting the African arid regions. But there are several species of antelope, which differ from this image of an “antelope”. The Waterbuck being one of them. Strictly speaking “antelope” isn’t an exact zoological term for a certain group of animals anyway. It’s more a collective name used for all horned and hoofed animals excluding bovines, sheep and goats, not taking into account the real relationships.

This definition makes even the African buffalo an antelope.

The waterbuck does not as many people think live in water. However they are always found in close association with water. The males have a white ring around the rump, shaggy coat and forwarded-swept horns. The same species is also found in Kenya and Tanzania but lacks the white rump ring. Waterbucks emit a musky smell which is thought to discourage predators. This odour also taints the meat, and makes it unsuitable as venison.

Waterbuck favour the green grass and sedges that often grow near rivers Inhabits only well watered areas, with a strong predilection for dense woody vegetation and good quality medium to tall grasses. The Waterbuck will on occasion venture into open woodlands.Their social organisation is divided into bachelor herds and breeding herds consisting of a dominant male and six to 12 females with calves. Territorial fights among males sometimes lead to serious injuries due to their sharp horns.

Waterbucks are widely spread in Africa and are found in these countries.

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Congo, Republic of the, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, The, Ghana, Guinea, GuineaBissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.