| DIKDIK
(KIRK'S): |
We saw
Dikdik at Sinya, on the
way from the Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti and on the
Serengeti. They pair for life and mark and defend a territory of
an acre or so. Interestingly, the male defends the pair's
territory against males, while the female defends it against
females. Their territory usually includes some dense brush, as
this is their cover to protect themselves from various predators.
We got glimpses of quite a number of pairs, but they
usually dashed away before cameras could be aimed. The pair we
saw beside
the road from Ngorongoro Crater to the Serengeti main gate didn't take
flight - thus the fairly good image of them. Male has small,
straight horns, females have none. This pair may be mother and
offspring, rather than a breeding pair. Shoulder height =
36 - 41 cm
|
|
| THOMPSON'S
GAZELLE: |
We saw
Thompson's Gazelle at Sinya, in the Ngorongoro Crater and on the
Serengeti. There are about 225,000 of these small antelope on the
Serengeti. They have a distinctive black stripe which divides
their tan upper body from their cream-colored lower body. Both
males and females have horns, but the males' are much larger.
Most of them make the annual migration around the Serengeti with the
wildebeest
and zebras, but a few stay year around where we were. We saw a
hyena run down and kill a young Thompson's
Gazelle, probably only a few days old, which had been born out of
season, the reason for its vulnerability. They move about in
herds of a hundred or so. They weigh up to 40kg (100#).
Shoulder height = 64 - 69 cm |
|
| SPRINGBOK:
|
Springbok
are a small antelope of the arid plains of the same general size as
Grant's Gazelle. We saw them only once, shortly after we left
Sinya Camp. (This may not be springbok, as our guide book says
these
live only farther south.) Shoulder height = ? between
Thompson's and Grant's |
|
| GRANT'S
GAZELLE |
We saw
Grant's Gazelle in the
Ngorongoro Crater and on the Serengeti.
The Grant's Gazelle intermingle with the Thompson's. They are
about
half
again taller, and twice as heavy, and lack the black stripe along their
sides. Other than size they behave very similar to the
Thompson's.
There are about half as many Grant's on the Serengeti as
Thompson's.
Weight up to 80kg. Shoulder height = 81 - 99 cm |
|
| IMPALA:
|
Impala are
slightly taller than
the Grant's, but weigh less. They eat a vide variety of plants;
their diet is so
varied they sometimes are referred to as "the goat of the
plains." The males' horns sweep back then up in a wavy
form. We saw a few lone males and two large herds of females ,
one during the one rain we experienced. Something like 70,000
live on the Serengeti. Weigh up to 50kg.
Shoulder height = 92 - 107 cm |
 |
| WATERBUCK:
|
Waterbuck
live in open woodlands and savannah, but usually near water. We
saw them near a perennial stream from the balloon ride. They are
rare relative to the other antelope, numbering something like 1,500 on
the Serengeti Males weigh up to 270 kg. Shoulder
height = 122 - 137 cm |
|
| TOPI: |
We saw Topi
only on the
Serengeti, where they number 40,000+. Widely distributed; fast
runners. Number about
40,000 on the Serengeti. Males often stand on sentry on abandoned
termite hills. The ones we saw were on the dark side of the color
variation. Lighter colored ones have much more visible purple
blotches. Weigh up to 250kg. Shoulder height =
122 - 127 cm |
 |
| WILDEBEEST:
|
We saw
Wildebeest
in the Ngorongoro Crater and on the Serengeti. Wildebeest are the
major migratory antelope on the Serengeti, numbering from 750,000 to
1,000,000, depending on the date relative to the various
stages of the migration and reproduction. Calving occurs mainly
in the far southeast of the Serengeti in January. Calves must be
able to
run within minutes of birth. Those in the Ngorongoro Crater seem
to be much more sedentary and well-fed than those on the
Serengeti. Although most migrate, some stay in the central
Serengeti year round. We saw moderate numbers there, although we
have no images of them. Weight
around 250kg. Shoulder height = 132 cm |
|
| ELAND:
|
We saw
Eland only
on the Serengeti. Eland are common but shy with an estimated
population size of about 12,000 on the Serengeti. Eland live in
shrub and grassland, browsing mainly at night when vegetation has more
moisture. They are not territorial, and are not especially
migratory. They display substantial color variation, from rather
gray for
mature males to a fawn color similar to Thompson's Gazelle to almost a
red, depending on sex and age. Horns are straight with a spiral
ridge. Weight up to 900kg. Shoulder height = 175 -
183 cm |
 |
